Hossein Salami

Iranian Officials Confirm 25 Dead in Protests, VOA News, January 2018 https://www.voanews.com/world-news/middle-east-dont-use/iranian-officials-confirm-25-dead-protests

The nationwide  protests of 2019, known as the protests of November 2019, were a series of large-scale popular demonstrations against the Iranian government, which began on November 15, 2019 in protest of the tripling of gasoline prices and quickly turned into anti-government protests that spread to 29 provinces in more than 100 cities across the country.  The protests were brutally suppressed by the security and military forces. According to Amnesty International, at least 304 people were killed in the protests.

Shoot to Kill:Preliminary Findings of Justice For Iran’s Investigation into the November 2019 Protests, February 2020, p 13 https://justice4iran.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SHOOT-TO-KILL-Preliminary-Findings-of-Justice-for-Irans-Investigation-into-the-November-2019-Protests.pdf

“Special Report: Iran’s leader ordered crackdown on unrest - 'Do whatever it takes to end it'”, Reuters, 23 Decmber 2019 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-protests-specialreport-idUSKBN1YR0QR

“Iran: Details released of 304 deaths during protests six months after security forces’ killing spree”, Amnesty International, 20 May 2020 https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/05/iran-details-released-of-304-deaths-during-protests-six-months-after-security-forces-killing-spree/

"IRGC Commander in Tehran Rally: We are in a Great World War", BBC Farsi, November 2019 https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-50546349

List of confirmed and unconfirmed names of victims and detainees of the November protests, Iranwire, 2019 https://iranwire.com/fa/features/34397

"4 Days of Suppression in Iran: What Do We Know About the Protest Victims?", Iran Wire, November 2019 https://iranwire.com/fa/features/34262

The Seven Layers of the Repression Organization in the Islamic Republic, Murad Veisi, Radio Farda, 2019 https://www.radiofarda.com/a/seven-layers-of-suppression-in-Islamic-republic-of-Iran/29421805.htm

"These people from the government, the IRGC and the army knew about the rise in gasoline prices" Khabaronline, 2019

https://www.khabaronline.ir/news/1327073/%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AA-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D9%88-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B4-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B2%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B4-%D9%82%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%B2%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%B1

Hossein Salami, as Chief Commander of the IRGC, is responsible for shooting down the Ukrainian Airlines Flight 752 by the forces under his command, killing all 176 passengers on board. He is also responsible for concealing and preventing the publication of details of this tragedy and preventing independent investigations, effective and immediate compensation and punishment of the perpetrators.

On 8 January 2020, a Ukrainian Airline plane, flight number PS 752, was shot down by two missiles fired from the Revolutionary Guards missile system near Tehran, killing all 176 passengers and crew. Most of the passengers on the plane were Iranian, and other passengers and crew were citizens of Canada, Ukraine, Britain and Afghanistan.

Iran immediately declared the cause of the crash a technical defect and denied the experts' hypothesis that the plane was hit by missiles. On the same day, Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for the Iranian General Staff of Armed Forces, called the claim a "mere lie" and stressed that "this issue is being pursued by the hypocritical line in favor of the Americans and is another conspiracy in the field of psychological warfare."

Eventually, when a number of world leaders, including the Prime Minister of Canada and the US Secretary of State, spoke of the real possibility of the plane being shot down by a missile system, on 11 January, 2020, Hajizadeh admitted in a press conference that a

Ukrainian plane shot down by missiles fired by the forces under his command. He

immediately blamed the United States for the tragedy "These are the costs

of America's mischief and inflammation in the region," he said.

Despite the revelation of the role of the IRGC Air Force in the downing of Flight 752, Hossein Salami, as the Chief Commander of the IRGC, not only did not remove or suspend the commanders responsible for this tragedy, but in a closed session of the parliament on January 12, 2020, he defended the forces under his command and described the tragedy as the result of a state of war. He also claimed that no one would have been informed if the Revolutionary Guards had not voluntarily announced their role in shooting down the passenger plane. This was said even though the IRGC and other Iranian officials, after repeated denials, were forced to accept their role only when several confirmatory statements by world leaders. In his speech to the parliament, Salami noted that the IRGC had been informed of the role of IRGC missiles as cause of the plane crash since the evening of Wednesday, January 8 2020. After three days of denial, the IRGC took responsibility for this tragedy on January 11, 2020. Hossein Salami also threatened the protesters, warning that the "dust" of the Ukrainian plane crash should not sit on the "victory" of the IRGC.

Following the confirmation of the IRGC shooting down flight PS752, on 13 December, 2020, rallies were held to protest the downing of the Ukrainian plane by the IRGC. The protests were suppressed by the police and the IRGC forces. Following a protest rally in front of the Revolutionary Guards headquarters in Amol, 14 people were arrested. The Amol Revolutionary Court sentenced five of them to a total of 30 months in prison. In total, at least 13 people were sentenced to prison in Iran for these protests.

Forces under Salami’s command in the IRGC Intelligence Organisation have also systematically threatened, summoned and physically and mentally tortured the victims' families in order to dissuade them from talking to the media and pursuing lawsuits. In the latest wave of pressure on families, sources close to the victims' families told the media that Revolutionary Guards members have been threatening the families stating "some members of these families received death threats during repeated interrogations in IRGC safe houses. The interrogator told them they will send them to the other world as well if they don’t cooperate”. The members of the IRGC also threatened the families with "[lethal] injection", "getting killed and released on the outskirts of the city", "sexual abuse of their spouses / daughters", and dismissal from their jobs.

IRGC Commander about the passenger plane: If we did not say, no one would’ve known, BBC Farsi, January 12, 2020

https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-51083487

IRGC commander warns the "dust" of Ukrainian plane should not sit on IRGC "victory", Radio France, January 12, 2020

https://www.rfi.fr/fa/%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D9%87%D8%B4%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF-%C2%AB%D8%BA%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%C2%BB-%D9%87%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%BE%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D9%88%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86%DB%8C-%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C-%C2%AB%D9%BE%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C%C2%BB-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%B4%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AF-20200112/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA

Details of the IRGC operation in Ain al-Assad, Tabnak, 10 December, 2017

https://tabnakjavan.com/fa/news/12775/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AC%DB%8C%E2%80%8C%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A2%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%85-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A8%D8%B2%D8%B1%DA%AF%DB%8C-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%AF

New Audio File Released; President of Ukraine: Iranian officials Were Aware of the firing of Missiles, Radio Farda, 3 February, 2020

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/iran-civil-aviation-organization-official-says-leak-of-audio-file-from-ukraine/30414040.html

Aviation experts: The cause of the crash of the Ukrainian plane could be a missile, Persian Independent, 10 December, 2017

https://www.independentpersian.com/node/36316/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%DB%8C/%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B4%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%87%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%AA-%D8%B3%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B7-%D9%87%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%BE%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D9%88%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86%DB%8C-%D9%85%DB%8C%E2%80%8C%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B4%DA%A9-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AF

Trudeau says evidence indicates Iranian missile brought down Ukrainian flight, CBC, 10 January 2020

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/champagne-iran-plane-crash-1.5420398

US believes Iran 'likely' shot down Ukrainian airliner: Pompeo, ABC News, 10 January 2020

https://abcnews.go.com/International/highly-iran-shot-ukrainian-airliner-us-official-confirms/story?id=68173173

Shekarchi: Our revenge is not limited to one slap, Fars News, 9 December, 2017

https://www.farsnews.ir/news/13981018001074/%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D9%87-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%AF-%D9%86%D9%85%DB%8C%E2%80%8C%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87-%D8%AF%D9%87%D9%86%D8%AF-%D9%BE%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AE%D8%B4

Iran: Ukrainian plane was targeted as result of human error, BBC Farsi, 12 December, 2017

https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-51073829

Protest rallies in several Iranian cities; Firearms and tear gas fired in Tehran, Radio Farda, 12 December, 2017

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/30371917.html

[Video] Protests Against Khamenei in Iran After the Deadly Tragedy Caused by the Revolutionary Guards, Radio France, 12 December, 2017

https://www.rfi.fr/fa/%d9%88%db%8c%d8%af%d8%a6%d9%88-%d8%aa%d8%b8%d8%a7%d9%87%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%b9%d9%84%db%8c%d9%87-%d8%ae%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%86%d9%87%e2%80%8c%d8%a7%db%8c-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%be%d8%b3-%d8%a7%d8%b2-%d9%81%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%b9%d9%87%e2%80%8c%d8%a2%d9%81%d8%b1%db%8c%d9%86%db%8c-%d9%85%d8%b1%da%af%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%b3%d9%be%d8%a7%d9%87-%d9%be%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-20200111/%d8%b3%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa

30-month Prison Sentence for Protesters against Downing of the Ukrainian Plane by the IRGC, Radio Farda, 26 May, 2016

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/30574508.html

Human Rights Watch Condemns Prison sentence for Protesters Downing of the Ukrainian Plane in Iran, BBC Persian, 10 May, 2016

https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-52592501

Exclusive: The Revolutionary Guards have tortured and threatened to rape and kill the families of the victims of the Ukrainian flight, Iran International, 28 November, 2016

https://iranintl.com/%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D9%BE%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D8%AA%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D8%B4%D8%AF%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%BE%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%88%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%B4%DA%A9%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%87-%D9%88-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B2-%D9%88-%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%87