ide ▁in ▁prison . ▁In ▁a ▁trial ▁that ▁was ▁" d ismiss ed ▁as ▁a ▁sh am ▁by ▁the ▁vict ims ' ▁families ▁and ▁international ▁human ▁rights ▁organis ations ," ▁three ▁Int elligence ▁Ministry ▁agents ▁were ▁sent enced ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁death ▁and ▁ 1 2 ▁others ▁to ▁prison ▁terms ▁for ▁murder ing ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁vict ims . ▁ ▁Many ▁Iran ians ▁and ▁foreign ers ▁believe ▁the ▁kill ings ▁were ▁partly ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁resist ▁" c ult ural ▁and ▁political ▁open ness " ▁by ▁reform ist ▁Iran ian ▁president ▁Moh amm ad ▁K hat ami ▁and ▁his ▁supp or ters , ▁and ▁that ▁those ▁conv icted ▁of ▁the ▁kill ings ▁were ▁actually ▁" sc ap ego ats ▁acting ▁on ▁orders ▁from ▁higher " ▁up , ▁with ▁the ▁ult imate ▁perpet rat ors ▁including ▁" a ▁few ▁well ▁known ▁cler ics ." ▁ ▁In ▁turn , ▁Iran ' s ▁hard lin ers — the ▁group ▁most ▁closely ▁associated ▁with ▁vig il ante ▁attacks ▁on ▁diss idents ▁in ▁general , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁accused ▁kill ers ▁in ▁particular — c laimed ▁foreign ▁powers ▁( including ▁Israel ) ▁had ▁committed ▁the ▁cr imes . ▁ ▁The ▁mur ders ▁are ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁" st ill ▁shr oud ed ▁in ▁secre cy ", ▁and ▁an ▁indic ation ▁that ▁the ▁authorities ▁may ▁not ▁have ▁un cover ed ▁all ▁perpet rat ors ▁of ▁the ▁chain ▁mur ders ▁was ▁the ▁attempted ▁assass ination ▁of ▁S ae ed ▁H aj jar ian , ▁a ▁newspaper