Gholamreza Soleimani
AKA: Soleimany
- Commander of Abolfazl 57 Brigade, Lorestan Province (1991 - 2001)
- Commander of Basij Organisation, Lorestan Province (1991 - 2001)
- Commander of 41 Sarallah Division (2001 - 2004)
- Commander of Of Saheb-Al-Zaman Provincial Corps, Isfahan Province (2008 - 2019)
- Human Rights Violation: Suppression of post-election protests (Jun 2009) read more
- Institution
- Provincial Guard Corps
- Location
- Isfahan (Isfahan Province)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of assembly, Right to freedom of expression, Right to life
- Description
- As the commander of the Saheb-ol-Zaman provincial corps in Isfahan, he played a role in the brutal suppression of the protesters during the 2009 presidential election in Isfahan.
- Sources
"The story of Hussein Akhtarzand's martyrdom and pictures", Hrana, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090731100124/http://www.hra-news.org/news/2619.aspx
"20 people have been arrested in connection with the recent riots in Isfahan", Mehr News Agency, 2009 https://www.mehrnews.com/news/902376/20-%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B7-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D8%BA%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%AE%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%81%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D9%87%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%AF
"Contradictory statistics on the number of killed, confirmation of at least one killed", BBC Farsi, 2009 https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran/2009/06/090615_ba-ir88-tehran-mousavi.shtml
- Human Rights Violation: Arresting cyber activists (19 Oct 2014) read more
- Institution
- Provincial Guard Corps
- Location
- Isfahan (Isfahan Province)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom from torture, Right to freedom of expression, Right to liberty and security of person
- Description
- On 18 October, 2014, Gholamreza Soleimani announced the arrest of six members of a cyberspace group he described as "immoral" in several cities in the province, by "elements" of the IRGC Intelligence Organisation and the IRGC Cyber Center in Isfahan. He added that these individuals have confessed to being active on"immoral sites". Soleimani, as the commander of the IRGC in Isfahan province, has played a role in arresting, torturing and obtaining forced confessions of these activists, which were broadcast by IRIB.
- Sources
"Arrest of six people in Isfahan on charges of immoral activity on the Internet", Radio Farda, 2014
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Soleimani-4.pdf
Video broadcast of forced confessions of Isfahan cyberspace activists on IRIB, Justice for Iran Archive, 2014 https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Soleimani-5.mp4
- Human Rights Violation: Arrest and persecution of citizens because of their religious beliefs (18 Jul 2017) read more
- Institution
- Provincial Guard Corps
- Location
- (Isfahan Province)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom from torture, Right to freedom of expression, Right to freedom of religion and belief, Right to liberty and security of person
- Description
- On 18 July, 2017, the Intelligence Organization of the Saheb-al-Zaman Corps in Isfahan announced in a statement that "11 members and supporters of the deviant Mystic Circle Network (Erfan-e-Halgheh) in Najafabad" have been arrested. Also, 12 other members of this group were arrested on 23December, 2018 in Isfahan. Gholamreza Soleimani, as the commander of the Isfahan Saheb al-Zaman provincial corps, is responsible for detaining and suppressing these individuals.
- Sources
"11 members and supporters of Mystic Circle were arrested in Najafabad, Isfahan", Radio Farda, 2017 https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Soleimani-9.pdf
"One of the main leaders of Erfan Halgheh and 11 members of his group were arrested in Isfahan", Tasnim, 2017 https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Soleimani-10.pdf
Arrest of members of the mystic circle in Isfahan, Rah-e Dana, 1397 https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Soleimani-11.pdf
- Human Rights Violation: Suppression of protesters (Dec 2017 - Jan 2018) read more
- Institution
- Provincial Guard Corps
- Location
- (Isfahan Province)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of assembly, Right to freedom of expression, Right to life
- Description
- As the commander of the Saheb-al-Zaman provincial corps in Isfahan, he played a role in the brutal suppression of the protests in December 2017- January 2018. Soleimani spoke of the formation of security units to "calm the people" in Isfahan. Isfahan's two security units, Abolfazl and Zulfiqar, and the Imam Ali Security Battalion, (which were formed with the aim of "organised suppression" of "urban riots and social unrest,") are part of the provincial corps that played a key role in suppressing protests in December 2017- January 2018.
- Sources
Formation of two units to calm the people after the sedition of 1988 in Isfahan, ISNA, 2013 https://www.isna.ir/news/isfahan-24803/%D8%AA%D8%B4%DA%A9%DB%8C%D9%84-%D8%AF%D9%88-%DB%8C%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A2%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%85-%D9%BE%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%87-88-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%81%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%86
Shooting in Najafabad riots / 4 killed and injured / Police: Those who insulted the Iranian flag were arrested, Aftab News, 11 December 1996 https://aftabnews.ir/fa/news/499374/%D8%AA%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A2%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%81%E2%80%8C%D8%A2%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AF%DB%B4-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D8%AA%D9%87-%D9%88-%D8%B2%D8%AE%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%BE%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%E2%80%8C%DA%A9%D9%86%D9%86%D8%AF%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%BE%D8%B1%DA%86%D9%85-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%DA%AF%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%86%D8%AF
IRGC: Arrest of a Radio Farda reporter during the riots in Isfahan, Iran era, 2017 https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Soleimani-7.pdf
RFE / RL Report: "Disarming the police station, the intention of the rioters", RFE / RL, 2017 https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/15-HRV.pdf
- Human Rights Violation: read more
- Institution
- Provincial Guard Corps
- Location
- Rights Violated
- Description
- Sources
- Human Rights Violation: Suppression of post-election protests (Jun 2009) read more
- Head of Basij Organisation (2 Jun 2019 - present)
- Human Rights Violation: Killing and suppressing protesters (Nov 2019) read more
- Institution
- Basij Organisation
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of assembly, Right to life
- Description
- As the Head of the Basij Organisation, he is responsible for commanding the Basij force to use lethal and non-lethal weapons during the November 2019 protests, causing deaths and injuries to unarmed protesters and other civilians in many cities across the country.
- Sources
"General Soleimani in Isfahan: The United States sought to import large quantities of weapons into Iran during the recent unrest", Tasnim, December 2017 https://bit.ly/2Xabarn
"General Soleimani: Security forces dealt with the rioters with patience / The main perpetrators of the riots have been arrested", Tasnim, December 2017 https://bit.ly/39Di1fa
“Iran: Details released of 304 deaths during protests six months after security forces’ killing spree”, Amnesty International, 20 May 2020
List of confirmed and unconfirmed names of victims and detainees of the November protests, Iranwire, 1398
https://iranwire.com/fa/features/34397
"4 Days of Suppression in Iran: What Do We Know About the Protest Victims?", Iran Wire, November 2017
https://iranwire.com/fa/features/34262
The Seven Layers of the Repression Organization in the Islamic Republic, Murad Veisi, Radio Farda, 1398
https://www.radiofarda.com/a/seven-layers-of-suppression-in-Islamic-republic-of-Iran/29421805.htm
"These people knew about the government, the IRGC and the army since the rise in gasoline prices" Khabaronline, 1398
- Human Rights Violation: Killing and suppressing protesters (Nov 2019) read more
On 10 January, 2020, the US Treasury Department added Soleimani to its list of human rights sanctions for his role in human rights abuses, particularly the use of child soldiers. According to this decision, Soleimani's assets in the United States or in the control of American companies and banks have been frozen and he has been banned from entering the United States.
On 12 April 2021, the Council of the European Union added 8 Iranian officials including Gholamreza Soleimani, to its list of human rights sanctions for their role in widespread and grave violations of the rights of Iranian citizens. According to the EU statement, Soleimani “bears responsibility for the violent suppression of the protests and serious human rights violations in Iran.” As a result of these sanctions, Soleimani has been banned from entering the EU and his assets in the EU have been frozen.