A former high official of the Information Ministry, Mostafa Kazemi, on Saturday confessed to his role as the mastermind of the murders of writers and intellectual dissidents in Iran. Also in charge of internal security, Kazemi confessed behind a closed-door session of the trial of 18 accused of killing four dissidents in late 1998.

Many details about the motives and accomplices of the killers are yet to be divulged, particularly for the relatives of the victims of the brutal murders.

Most important are the links between these killers and elements inside and outside the country. Earlier it was said that Kazemi had close links with some members of the 2nd Khordad alliance.

The trial is so sensitive that Information Minister Ali Younessi, whose ministry's officials are allegedly involved in what the media dubbed as serial murders, requested the court to hold the trial behind closed doors.

Commenting on the nature of the trial, Judge Mohammadreza Aqiqi wondered who could guarantee that an open trial would not provide sensitive information to enemies outside the country?

The people and relatives of the victims want to know the root cause of Kazemi's criminal acts. His accomplices must be made public so that the numerous unanswered questions may be answered.

If Kazemi's accomplices are identified, the nation has the right to demand that they also be tried and punished so that this dark chapter of Iranian history would be closed once and for all.

If the real culprits are not punished, the same type of crime might be repeated, as there are those who wish to tarnish the image of the Islamic system.