Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei

Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, as the representative of the Judiciary on the Press Supervisory Board, has had active participation in the seizure of the press and the arrest of journalists, especially during the years 1998 to 2000. In an interview with Fars News Agency, Mohseni Ejei confirmed the crackdown on the press, saying: "In the press, the interests of the system are often violated and they move against national security."

Mohseni Ejei: The Press Law includes the rights of the press, the people and the government, Fars News Agency, 2003

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ejeei-16.pdf

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, as the prosecutor of the "Special Clerical Court", was  responsible for issuing prison sentences to clerics critical of the Islamic Republic. For example, Hassan Yousefi Eshkevari (five years in prison) and Mohsen Kadivar (one and a half years) were sentenced to prison for expressing critical views on the concept and status of "Velayat-e-Faqih." Hassan Yousefi Eshkevari was first sentenced to death in a special court for the clergy. The Court ofAppeal then reduced the sentence to two years in prison. The verdict of the Court of Appeal was changed to 5 years in prison with the protest of Mohseni Ejei, the then prosecutor of the Special Clerical Court.

Testimony of Hassan Yousefi Eshkevari, Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, 25 May 25, 2014

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ejeei-10.pdf

Mohsen Kadivar's Defense in the Special Clergy Court, Ney Publishing, June 1998

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ejeei-12.pdf

Eshkevari appealed, BBC Persian, 2002

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ejeei-13.pdf

Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei is one of the officials named as the ‘mastermind’ of the assassination of Pirooz Davani, a political activist, and Majid Sharif, a writer and translator. The murders are considered a part of the serial political assassinations known as "chain murders."

In 1998, Dariush and Parvaneh Forouhar, longtime political activists and leaders of the Nation Party of Iran, Mohammad Mokhtari and Mohammad Jafar Pooyandeh, members of the Writers' Association of Iran were murdered. Majid Sharif and Pirooz Davani were assassinated shortly after. After that, the Ministry of Intelligence, in a statement on 6 January, 1998, attributed the assassinations to the "rogue" agents of the ministry.

Pirooz Davani's brother, on the role of the Ejei in his murder, states:

"Pirooz and Majid Sharif were removed from the case and the case of serial murders was reduced to four murders. At the same time, the families' lawyer, said that Dorri Najafabadi had given the order for assassination of Davani based on Mohseni Ejei’s fatwa...Later parts of the case were  published abroad and Mr. Lahiji analyzed the case and explained that "Dorrri Najafabadi had said that these are communists and should be killed, and Mohseni Ejei issued a fatwa for their death."

Interview with Abdolkarim Lahiji about serial murders, Radio Zamaneh, 2018

https://www.radiozamaneh.com/423195

What are the main figures involved in the serial murders case doing today? , BBC Persian 2016

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ejeei-14.pdf

Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, both as Minister of Intelligence (until 24 August, 2009) and as Attorney General (since 24 September, 2009), has been instrumental in suppressing, torturing, and obtaining forced confessions from protesters against the 2009 presidential election results.

Following the announcement of the results of the tenth Iranian presidential election and the victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, widespread protests were held in Iranian cities. The protests were brutally suppressed by the riot police, the IRGC and the Basij, killing at least 70 people, injuring thousands, and  widespread arrests.

Execution of sentences of 15 criminals for “sedition 2009”, Mehr News Agency, February 2011

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ejeei-18.pdf

Ejei: Trial in absentia of some of the accused in the “sedition 2009” , Radio and Television News Agency, April 2014

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ejeei-19.pdf

Filing a case against Mehdi Karroubi for accusing security forces of rape, Radio Farda, October 2009

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/RAEISI-0.pdf

Rape, Iran Human Rights Campaign, September 2009

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/RAEISI-17.pdf

Interview with the Attorney General, Tasnim News Agency, August 2016

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ejeei-o.pdf

Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, both as Minister of Intelligence (until 24 August, 2009) and as Attorney General (since 24 September, 2009), has been instrumental in suppressing, torturing, and obtaining forced confessions from protesters against the 2009 presidential election results.

Following the announcement of the results of the tenth Iranian presidential election and the victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, widespread protests were held in Iranian cities. The protests were brutally suppressed by the riot police, the IRGC and the Basij, killing at least 70 people, injuring thousands, and  widespread arrests.

Execution of sentences of 15 criminals for “sedition 2009”, Mehr News Agency, February 2011

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ejeei-18.pdf

Ejei: Trial in absentia of some of the accused in the “sedition 2009” , Radio and Television News Agency, April 2014

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ejeei-19.pdf

Filing a case against Mehdi Karroubi for accusing security forces of rape, Radio Farda, October 2009

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/RAEISI-0.pdf

Rape, Iran Human Rights Campaign, September 2009

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/RAEISI-17.pdf

Interview with the Attorney General, Tasnim News Agency, August 2016

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ejeei-o.pdf

On 17 April, 2014, dozens of Evin Prison guards, accompanied by security officers, attacked Ward 350, where political prisoners are held, under the pretext of searching their personal belongings, and severely beat a large number of inmates. After that, 32 detainees, most of them seriously injured, were transferred to solitary confinement, preventing the injured from being treated and taken to hospital. Following the incident, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, as a spokesman for the judiciary, in addition to denying the incident, supported prison officials and threatened to prosecute prisoners and their families for informing the press.

Mohseni Ejei: turmoil creators in Evin will be prosecuted, Fararo, May 2014

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ejeei-21.pdf

Mohseni Ejei, as the first deputy head of the judiciary, is responsible for overseeing the actions of judicial authorities throughout the country. He is, therefore, responsible for the extrajudicial detentions of citizens in connection with the nationwide protests, especially protests in January 2017 and November 2019, the illegal trials in complete disregard of the principles of fair trial, and the issuance of unjust sentences to protesters. He is also responsible for concealing and distorting information about the protests, refusing to disclose the true death toll, and failing to conduct effective and independent investigations into violations of the right to life and the illegal use of deadly weapons by security forces against unarmed protesters.

Mohseni Ejei is also responsible for issuing and enforcing illegal death sentences for protesters through unfair trials, based on forced and false confessions of defendants obtained under severe torture. Mostafa Salehi, one of the protesters in January 2017, Mohammad Salas, one of the detainees of the Dervish protests in March 2017, and Navid Afkari, one of the detainees of the August 2018 protests, are among the protesters who were sentenced to death solely based on their forced confessions obtained under severe torture and were executed hastily and in an illegal process. 

 Shoot to Kill; Preliminary Findings of Justice for Iran’s Investigation into the November 2019 Protests, Justice for Iran, February 2020

https://justice4iran.org/15229/

“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/

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%20protests

Despite the denial of the judiciary, the Esfandani family emphasized their daughter "was shot dead while innocent", Radio Farda, December 4, 2019

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/30307024.html

Mother of Afkari brothers: My sons were tortured to testify against each other and one of them committed suicide, BBC Farsi, Aug 30, 2020

https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-53964437

 August 2018 protests; 2 death sentences, 308 lashes and 88 years imprisonment for three brothers in Shiraz / Documents, HRANA News Agency, Aug 2020

https://www.hra-news.org/2020/hranews/a-26368/

 New details of Navid Afkari's case; 'I have witness that I have been tortured'; Judiciary: ‌ The allegation of torture is not true, BBC Farsi, September 2020

https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-53977871

 New details of Navid Afkari's death: The possibility of Navid being killed as a result of torture has increased, Iran International, September 2020

https://iranintl.com/%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/%D8%AC%D8%B2%DB%8C%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%85%D8%B1%DA%AF-%D9%86%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%81%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D8%AA%D9%87-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%86-%D9%86%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%B1-%D8%B4%DA%A9%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%87-%D9%82%D9%88%D8%AA-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AA

Mostafa Salehi, one of the protesters of January 2017 protest, was executed, 5 August 2020

https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-53660716

"Continuation of Temporary Detention of Imprisoned Dervishes and Uncertainty about the Basis of Their Charges", Iran Human Rights Campaign, 2018

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D9%85%D9%88%D9%82%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B4-%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%AE%D8%B5-%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A2%D9%86%D9%87%D8%A7-%E2%80%93-%DA%A9%D9%85%D9%BE%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%88%D9%82-%D8%A8%D8%B4%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86.pdf

"Issuance of 114 years in prison for 34 imprisoned dervishes", Deutsche Welle, 2018

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/daravish.pdf

"The Attorney General attributed the dervishes' protests to foreign states", Radio Zamaneh, 2018

https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%DA%A9%D9%84-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B4-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AC-%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF-_-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AF%DB%8C%D9%88-%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87.pdf

"Mohammad Salas: I was tortured to death", Iran Human Rights Campaign, May 15, 2018

https://persian.iranhumanrights.org/1397/02/i-was-tortured-and-beaten-to-death/

Mohseni Ejei, as the first deputy of the judiciary, is responsible for overseeing the judicial institutions under his supervision including Prison Organisation. Ejei is, hence, responsible for the systematic harassment and torture of prisoners in Iran's prison which in many cases led to the death of political prisoners including Alireza Shir Mohammad Ali, Behnam Mahjoubi and Sasan Niknaf due to gross negligence and deliberate disregard for repeated warnings from human rights organizations about the deplorable and illegal conditions in Iran's prisons, as well as the systematic harassment of prisoners including by depriving them of proper medical care, which has repeatedly resulted in the death of prisoners due to severe physical deterioration.

Ejei is also responsible for violating the prisoners' rights by failing to order a transparent, independent and effective investigation that would identify and punish the prison authorities responsible in the death of these prisoners.

Alireza Shir Mohammad Ali, a political prisoner of conscience, who was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of "insulting the sanctities", "propaganda against the regime" and "insulting the leader", was stabbed to death on Monday, June 10, 2019 by two prisoners convicted for murder.

Behnam Mahjoubi, a Gonabadi dervish from Iran's religious minority belonging to Sufism, was arrested during protests against the detention of several dervishes in Golestan 7th of Pasdaran Street in 2017. Two years later, Mahjoubi was sentenced to two years in prison. Finally, on June 20, 2020, he was transferred to Evin Prison to serve his sentence. During his imprisonment, Mahjoubi was repeatedly harassed and tortured by prison officials. Prison officials refused to deliver his medicines, which paralyzed half of his body. Finally, despite Mahjoubi's critical physical condition, the authorities at Evin Prison refused to send him to the hospital, and instead transferred him to Razi Mental Asylum in Aminabad on Sunday, September 27, 2020. On November 2, 2020, Mahjoubi was transferred to Aminabad Hospital while on a hunger strike. Mahjoubi describes his torture by prison officials and staff at Razi Aminabad Asylum on November 4, 2020 in an audio file from Evin Prison. On February 13, 2021, with Mahjoubi's deteriorating condition, he was transferred to Evin Prison Medical Center, but the prison authorities continued to refuse to transfer him to the hospital, and instead gave him drugs that led to his loss of consciousness. Eventually, at the insistence of Mahjoubi's cellmates, he was taken to the hospital while he was in a coma. Mahjoubi died in hospital on February 16, 2021

Sasan Niknafs, a political prisoner in the Greater Tehran Prison (Fashafoyeh), who was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of "propaganda against the regime" and "insulting the leader" died on June 8, 2021 due to lack of medical care. The prisoner's lawyer told the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) about his death: "I was informed from inside the prison that about two days ago he was taken to the prison hospital with bleeding from his nose and mouth."

Prison officials were well aware of this prisoner’s medical history, including his liver disease, diabetes, and neurosis. A year ago, there were reports of Niknafs not having access to medical services. In its statement, the Prisons Organization, without accepting any responsibility, claimed that Sasan Niknafs's death was due to "taking pills."

Alireza Shirmohammad Ali, a political prisoner, was “killed" in Fashafooyeh prison, VOA, June 12, 2019

https://ir.voanews.com/latestnews/iran-human-rights-407

New details about the murder of Alireza Shirmohammad Ali, a political prisoner in Iran, BBC Farsi, June 12, 2019

https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-48618124

"A political prisoner was killed by two non-political prisoners", Deutsche Welle, June 12, 2019

https://www.dw.com/fa-ir/%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7-%D8%AF%D9%88-%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%BA%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84-%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AF/a-49139811

Continued reactions to the murder of Alireza Shirmohammad Ali; Preparation of a plan to hand over the responsibility of prisoners to the Ministry of Justice, Radio Farda, June 17, 2019

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/iran-political-prisoner-killed-/30002369.html

Murder of a political prisoner in prison "led" to the dismissal of the director general of prisons in Tehran province, Radio Farda, July 1, 2019

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/iran-prisons-head-expelled-for-murder-of-prisoner-political/30032474.html

Behnam Mahjoubi "Transfered" with "Paralyzed" Body to Aminabad Asylum, Radio Farda, October 29, 2016

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/30864008.html

Worrying situation of a Gonabadi dervishes imprisoned in Iran; Behnam Mahjoubi: I saw the "decline of humanity", VOA, November 4, 2016

https://ir.voanews.com/persiannewsiran/iran-human-rights-behnam-mahjoubi

Dervishes imprisoned in Iran; Behnam Mahjoubi 'Transfered' from Prison to 'Psychiatric Hospital' for the second time, BBC Farsi, November 2, 2016

https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-54770763

Behnam Mahjoubi, imprisoned Gonabadi Darvish “died” of drug poisoning, Deutsche Welle, February 19, 2017

https://www.dw.com/fa-ir/%D8%A8%D9%87%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%A8%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B4-%DA%AF%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%85%D9%88%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B0%D8%B4%D8%AA/a-56583371

Behnam Mahjoubi, died three days after being transferred from Evin Prison to a hospital, Iran International, February 19, 2017

https://iranintl.com/%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/%D8%A8%D9%87%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%8C-%D8%B3%D9%87-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2-%D9%BE%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%88%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B0%D8%B4%D8%AA

Denial of the allegation of death of Behnam Mahjoubi; "Vital signs are weak in him", Radio Farda, February 19, 2017

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/behnam-mahjoobi-iran-dervish-died-in-hospital/31105148.html

IRAN: Tortured Sufi Prisoner Must Be Released: Behnam Mahjoubi, Amnesty International, 11 December 2020

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/document/?indexNumber=mde13%2f3460%2f2020&language=en

Rights Groups Say Iranian Inmate 'Unfit' For Jail Dies in Custody, Radio Free Europe, 08 June 2021

https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-prisoner-dies-custody/31296387.html

Iranian prisoner of conscience dies due to lack of medical attention, Iran News Wire, 08 June 2021

https://irannewswire.org/iranian-prisoner-of-conscience-dies/

 Iran Election: Political Prisoners Dying Under Candidate Raisi's Watch, Human Rights Campaign, June 2021

https://iranhumanrights.org/2021/06/iran-election-political-prisoners-dying-under-candidate-raisis-watch/

Sasan Nikonfas, a political prisoner in Iran, died of an illness and 'lack of care', BBC Persian, 17 June 2021

https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-57384559

Human Rights Institutions: Ebrahim Raisi is Responsible for the Death of Sasan Nikonfas in Prison, Radio Farda, June 9, 2021

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/sassan-niknafs-raisi-responsible/31296323.html

Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei is responsible for and complicit in identifying and arresting women who did not comply with hijab rules, closure of businesses and opening judicial cases for hijab non-compliance. He has partaken in gender apartheid.