▁the ▁Islam ic ▁Republic ▁system . ▁The ▁mur ders ▁and ▁disappear ances ▁were ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁Iran ian ▁government ▁internal ▁oper atives . ▁ ▁The ▁vict ims ▁included ▁more ▁than ▁ 8 0 ▁writers , ▁transl ators , ▁po ets , ▁political ▁activ ists , ▁and ▁ordinary ▁citizens , ▁and ▁were ▁killed ▁by ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁means ▁such ▁as ▁car ▁crashes , ▁st abb ings , ▁shoot ings ▁in ▁st aged ▁rob ber ies , ▁and ▁in jections ▁with ▁pot ass ium ▁to ▁simulate ▁heart ▁attack . ▁The ▁pattern ▁of ▁mur ders ▁did ▁not ▁come ▁to ▁light ▁until ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁when ▁D ari ush ▁For ou har , ▁his ▁wife ▁Par v ane h ▁E sk and ari ▁For ou har , ▁and ▁three ▁diss ident ▁writers ▁were ▁murder ed ▁over ▁a ▁span ▁of ▁two ▁months . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁mur ders ▁were ▁public ized , ▁Supreme ▁Le ader ▁Ay atol lah ▁K ham ene i ▁denied ▁the ▁government ▁was ▁responsible , ▁and ▁bl amed ▁" I ran ' s ▁enemies ". ▁In ▁mid - 1 9 9 9 , ▁after ▁great ▁public ▁out c ry ▁and ▁journal istic ▁investigation ▁in ▁Iran ▁and ▁public ity ▁abroad , ▁Iran ian ▁pro sec utors ▁announced ▁they ▁had ▁found ▁the ▁perpet r ator . ▁One ▁S ae ed ▁Em ami ▁had ▁led ▁" rog ue ▁elements " ▁in ▁Iran ' s ▁MO IS ▁Int elligence ▁Ministry ▁in ▁the ▁kill ings , ▁but ▁that ▁Em ami ▁was ▁now ▁dead , ▁having ▁committed ▁suic