This report is the final article in a five-part series published by Spreading Justice, a project of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA). The purpose of this series is to expose individuals within the Iranian regime who facilitate and support serious human rights violations and breaches of international law.
Currently, the Spreading Justice database contains profiles of over a thousand individuals and entities implicated in such violations. This series of articles has not only introduced these individuals but also analyzed the positions they occupy, positions that perpetuate the institutionalized cycle of repression and human rights violations, and examines how and why these roles contribute to the reproduction of such abuses.
Under Iranian law, the general duties of the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran[1] are defined clearly. Although the law does not detail the specific responsibilities of a “County Law Enforcement Commander,” one can infer these duties based on the mandates of county governors and local security authorities.
According to Iranian law, the general mission and duties of the force include:
- Establishing order and security and ensuring public and individual peace.
- Confronting and continuously combating all forms of sabotage, terrorism, uprisings, and actions that disrupt national security, in cooperation with the Ministry of Intelligence.
This can be understood to include securing the environment for legal and authorized gatherings, organizations, demonstrations, and activities, as well as preventing and confronting unauthorized gatherings and protests and dealing with unrest, disorder, and illegal activities.
While the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for obtaining news and intelligence within its jurisdiction and cooperating with other intelligence bodies, it is required to immediately submit any political or security-related information encountered in the course of its duties to the Ministry of Intelligence after such information is gathered and compiled.
In addition, the Law Enforcement Command must, upon request, provide the necessary personnel to support the Ministry of Intelligence’s intelligence-gathering missions. These personnel are placed under the Ministry’s operational control, thereby directly linking the Law Enforcement Command to the activities of the Ministry of Intelligence.
Article 15 of the same law further provides that cooperation with other armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the Basij Resistance Forces, may take place when necessary and subject to coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Accordingly, given the role of the County Law Enforcement Commander and their institutional links to the County Security Council[2], the County Governor, and other security and law enforcement bodies, directing local forces to carry out these responsibilities falls within the scope of the commander’s duties.
The County Law Enforcement Commander is also a member of the County Security Council, which may convene extraordinary sessions in urgent situations.
Case Study: Role of the County Law Enforcement Commander in Human Rights Violations
During the nationwide protests of 2022, at least three citizens were killed in the city of Sari alone. Dozens of other protesters were injured or arrested by security and law enforcement forces. Abdollah Hassanzadeh Moghaddam[3], serving as the Law Enforcement Commander of Sari County and a member of the County Security Council, played a fundamental role in the violations of citizens’ rights committed by law enforcement forces in Sari.
Investigations by HRA at the time confirmed that law enforcement forces used pellet guns during the crackdown.
For example, Mohammad Javad Zahedi Saravi[4] was killed in Sari during the suppression of protests by the pellet gunfire of the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA). According to investigations that took place at the time, HRA found that four-pellet shotgun rounds (9 pellets) struck his head and internal arteries. In this case, the use of pellet guns by law enforcement is undeniable, and the forensic medical report confirmed that his death resulted from shotgun pellet impacts (multiple high-velocity projectiles causing perforations in the lungs, liver, and spleen, as well as hemorrhagic shock due to massive bleeding).
Such firearms are typically used in hunting, sport, and sometimes in warfare or law enforcement. HRA has also reported that, based on testimonies and credible video evidence, pellet wounds were not limited to the lower body of protesters, but also appeared on various parts of the body, from the face to the upper torso. This practice was not limited to the city of Sari.
Spreading Justice’s Information on Past and Current County Law Enforcement Commanders
| Name | Current Position | Workplace | Link |
| Najm al-Din Sohrabi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Khorramshahr | Khorramshahr | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj41296/ |
| Saeed Yousefi Fa’al | County Law Enforcement Commander of Ardabil | Ardabil | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj87540/ |
| Abdollah Hassanzadeh Moghaddam | County Law Enforcement Commander of Sari | Sari | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj36762/ |
| Seyed Jafar Afzali | County Law Enforcement Commander of Mahmoudabad | Mahmoudabad | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj51873/ |
| Ruhollah Bigdeli | County Law Enforcement Commander of Bavi | Bavi | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj46442/ |
| Amir Vahabzadeh | County Law Enforcement Commander of Bandar Anzali | Bandar Anzali | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj62574/ |
| Peyman Fattahi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Shahriar | Shahriar | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj58671/ |
| Habib Razdar | County Law Enforcement Commander of Khash | Khash | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj97220/ |
| Hossein Ahmadi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Neyshabur | Neyshabur | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj84105/ |
| Shahpour Fallahi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Zahedan | Zahedan | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj49161/ |
| Mehdi Pouraminaei | County Law Enforcement Commander of Kerman | Kerman | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj19347/ |
| Younes Dehghani | County Law Enforcement Commander of Jam | Jam | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj71926/ |
| Yadollah Tahmasian | County Law Enforcement Commander of Gharchak | Gharchak | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj46251/ |
| Gholamhossein Arab | County Law Enforcement Commander of Damghan | Damghan | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj89871/ |
| Akbar Darvishi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Babolsar | Babolsar | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj38594/ |
| Ali Dadash Tabar | County Law Enforcement Commander of Babol | Babol | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj04724/ |
| Mohammad Touhidi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Urmia | Urmia | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj14047/ |
| Kambiz Rostamnia | County Law Enforcement Commander of Qorveh | Qorveh | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj19486/ |
| Amir Mokhtari | County Law Enforcement Commander of Qom | Qom | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj25245/ |
| Javad Maraveneh | County Law Enforcement Commander of Dasht-e Azadegan | Dasht-e Azadegan | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj67694/ |
| Mehdi Mahdavikia | County Law Enforcement Commander of Borujerd | Borujerd | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj90599/ |
| Seyed Mohammad Mousavi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Kohgiluyeh | Kohgiluyeh | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj35635/ |
| Hedayat Shahbazi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Ramhormoz | Ramhormoz | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj46195/ |
| Alireza Deliri | County Law Enforcement Commander of Kermanshah | Kermanshah | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj74428/ |
| Shahram Tolabi Nejad | County Law Enforcement Commander of Ardakan | Ardakan | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj09038/ |
| Eskandar Jamashiani | County Law Enforcement Commander of Baghmalek | Baghmalek | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj79663/ |
| Seyed Ghasem Mousavi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Shadegan | Shadegan | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj52549/ |
| Hamidreza Baharvand | County Law Enforcement Commander of Masjed Soleyman | Masjed Soleyman | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj06349/ |
| Name | Previous Position | Current Position | Link | Workplace |
| Mahmoud Sa’adati | County Law Enforcement Commander of Zahedan | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj01965/ | Unknown |
| Saeed Zeinali | County Law Enforcement Commander of Yazd | Head of Preventive Police, Yazd Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj77921/ | Yazd |
| Ali Akbar Khosravi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Chalous | Head of Intelligence Police, Mazandaran Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj49046/ | Sari |
| Davoud Morsali | County Law Enforcement Commander of Zanjan | Retired | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj54861/ | – |
| Ali Tajari | County Law Enforcement Commander of Gorgan | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj51991/ | Unknown |
| Yousef Darvishi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Dehgolan | – | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj25050/ | Deceased |
| Bijan Khodaei | County Law Enforcement Commander of Qazvin | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj27566/ | Unknown |
| Ahmad Neghaban | County Law Enforcement Commander of Mashhad | Commander of Yazd Province Law Enforcement Command | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj80255/ | Yazd |
| Jafar Shams Biranvand | County Law Enforcement Commander of Varamin | Head of Preventive Police, East Tehran Province Command | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj48309/ | Tehran |
| Ramazan Allahverdiyan | County Law Enforcement Commander of Tabriz | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj64438/ | Unknown |
| Alireza Sayyad | County Law Enforcement Commander of Bampur | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj93992/ | Unknown |
| Mohammad Tabassi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Quchan | Retired | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj57024/ | – |
| Salman Heydari | County Law Enforcement Commander of Bukan | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj24494/ | Unknown |
| Hassan Sheikh Nejad | County Law Enforcement Commander of Urmia | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj57618/ | Unknown |
| Ali Soleimani | County Law Enforcement Commander of Savojbolagh | Deputy of Training and Education, Alborz Province Command | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj67184/ | Karaj |
| Mehdi Khademi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Qaemshahr | Head of Preventive Police, Mazandaran Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj06638/ | Sari |
| Ali Safari | County Law Enforcement Commander of Saqqez | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj34240/ | Unknown |
| Hossein Besati | County Law Enforcement Commander of Isfahan | Deputy Commander of Isfahan Province Law Enforcement | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj84755/ | Isfahan |
| Houshang Mobaraki | County Law Enforcement Commander of Eslamabad-e Gharb | Head of Anti-Narcotics Police, Kermanshah Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj66155/ | Kermanshah |
| Alireza Safari | County Law Enforcement Commander of Qorveh | Retired | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj34191/ | – |
| Mohammadreza Khodadoost | County Law Enforcement Commander of Isfahan | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj68854/ | Unknown |
| Hamidreza Akbari | County Law Enforcement Commander of Isfahan | Retired | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj47612/ | – |
| Hossein Barari | County Law Enforcement Commander of Kermanshah | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj15925/ | Unknown |
| Rouhollah Asgarizadeh | County Law Enforcement Commander of Dasht-e Azadegan | Deputy Commander, Ahvaz County Law Enforcement | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj81094/ | Ahvaz |
| Kazem Neisi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Behbahan | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj46908/ | Unknown |
| Akbar Aghabeygi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Mashhad | Retired | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj47397/ | – |
| Abbas Saremi Sadati | County Law Enforcement Commander of Mashhad | Retired | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj93335/ | – |
| Hossein Zolaghi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Ahvaz | Deputy of Operations, Khuzestan Province Law Enforcement | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj37349/ | Ahvaz |
| Kourosh Bahrami | County Law Enforcement Commander of Shahr-e Kord | Head of Preventive Police, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj44948/ | Shahr-e Kord |
| Mahmoud Hafezi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Rasht | Acting Head of Criminal Investigation Police, Fars Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj21389/ | Shiraz |
| Mohammad Azizi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Behbahan | Retired | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj68154/ | – |
| Farshid Zeinali | County Law Enforcement Commander of Marvdasht | Retired | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj70908/ | – |
| Elyas Tazikeh | County Law Enforcement Commander of Aliabad Katoul | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj66643/ | Unknown |
| Soleiman Bayrami | Border Guard Commander in Sardasht County | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj40158/ | Unknown |
| Morteza Talaei | Law Enforcement Commander of Tehran City | Retired | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj37511/ | – |
| Mahmoud Alifar | County Law Enforcement Commander of Gonbad-e Kavus | Retired | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj68355/ | – |
| Kioumars Pakdel | County Law Enforcement Commander of Khoy | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj73669/ | Unknown |
| Mohammad Hossein Babakalani | County Law Enforcement Commander of Najafabad | Retired | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj17987/ | – |
| Seyed Mohsen Taghizadeh | County Law Enforcement Commander of Abadan | Retired | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj23845/ | – |
| Abbas Mohammadi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Aligudarz | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj38285/ | Unknown |
| Reza Papi | County Law Enforcement Commander of Mahshahr | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj05561/ | Unknown |
[1] Law on the Duties and Structure of the National Security Council, adopted on July 17, 1990, The Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles). Available at: https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/91805
[2] Law on the Duties and Structure of the National Security Council, adopted on August 30, 1983, The Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles) . Available at: https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/90807
[3] Spreading Justice, “Individual Profile: Abdollah Hassanzadeh Moghaddam”: [https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj36762/](https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj36762/)
[4] HRANA News Agency, “The Case of Mohammad Javad Zahedi: Shotgun Ammunition Used by Security Forces Is Lethal” (19 October 2022), available at https://www.hra-news.org/2022/hranews/a-37331/
