Revolutionary Courts: 40 Years of Unfair Trials and Arbitrary Executions

The revolutionary courts were created shortly after the overthrow of the monarchy and the arrival of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Iran. The general goal of the court is thought to have been to seek vengeance against officials of the Shah's regime (particularly SAVAK) - as many revolutionaries had lost friends and family members at the hands of the government - and to eliminate military and civilian leaders who might foment a counter-revolution against Islamic rule.