Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
- Deputy Head of Basij Organisation
- Commander of Imam Reza Brigade, Razavi Khorasan Province (0000)
- Commander of the Nasr Khorasan 5th Division, Razavi Khorasan Province (0000)
- Commander of Khatam-al-Anbia HQ (0000)
- Commander of IRGC Air Force (0000)
- Human Rights Violation: Participation in suppressing the student protesters (1999) read more
- Institution
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
- Location
- Tehran
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of assembly, Right to liberty and security of person
- Description
After his candidacy in the 2013 presidential election, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf addressed a gathering of Basijis where he admitted to his role in suppressing students protesting the attack on the University of Tehran dormitory in 1999 and his participation in writing a threatening letter from IRGC commanders to then-President Mohammad Khatami to suppress students. In the speech published on the 15 May 2013 by the Kaleme website, explicitly speaks of his direct role in beating the protesting students:
“When the 1999 incident took place in the Tehran university dormitory, that famous letter was written by me and Mr. Soleimani… At that time, when they [the protesters] marched into the streets, I was the commander of the IRGC Air Force. My photo is out there on a motorcycle with a "wooden stick" ... I stayed on the street to wrap them up. Where it is necessary to come to the street and beat them up, we are those holding a stick. And we are proud of that.”
- Sources
Ghalibaf defends himself in Basij base: I obtained the permission for the military presence and shooting at the university dormitory, Kaleme website, May 15, 2013
https://www.kaleme.com/1392/02/25/klm-143690/
Human Rights Campaign: Ghalibaf's name should be added to the list of human rights violators, Radio Farda, May 16, 2013
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf from the IRGC and the municipality to the speaker of the parliament, BBC Farsi, June 28, 2016
https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-features-52831872
Full audio file of Ghalibaf's speech in the gathering of Basijis, 2013
- Human Rights Violation: Participation in suppressing the student protesters (1999) read more
- Chief Commander of Police (0000)
- Human Rights Violation: Permission for military presence at the university dormitory and use of lethal force read more
- Institution
- Chief Commander
- Location
- Tarasht and Tehran University dormitory
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of assembly, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life
- Description
Ghalibaf, as the commander of the police force and a member of the National Security Council, was primarily responsible for obtaining a permit for the forces under his command to attack the dormitory of the University of Tehran and the student dormitory of Tarasht, and to use lethal force against the peaceful protesters. In a speech at the Basij base in 2013, Ghalibaf acknowledged his role in threatening members of the Security Council to obtain a permit to attack the university dormitory:
“In 2003, after the university dormitory was set on fire and the Tarasht incident, I fought hard in the meeting of the National Security Council and said very harsh words and did not respect the meeting and said that tonight anyone who wants to come to the dormitory and wants to do these things [protest]. I, as the commander of the NAJA, will crush them. [...] The rest said that if the police force wants to enter the university dormitory, it must have the permission of the National Security Council and the university administrators must allow it. [...] At that meeting, I received permission from the National Security Council for the NAJA military presence at the university dormitory and to shoot [the protesters].”
- Sources
Ghalibaf defends himself in Basij base: I obtained the permission for the military presence and shooting at the university dormitory, Kaleme website, 15 May, 2013
https://www.kaleme.com/1392/02/25/klm-143690/
Full audio file of Ghalibaf's speech in the gathering of Basijis, 2013
https://soundcloud.com/user265259161/fjlfhgibxxyc
Ghalibaf: In 2003, I obtained a permit to enter and shoot in the university dormitory, Radio Farda, 16 May, 2013
https://www.radiofarda.com/a/f35_ghalibaf_tehran_university_dorm_attack/24987435.html
- Human Rights Violation: Suppression and arrest of bloggers, journalists and political activists (2000-2005) read more
- Institution
- Chief Commander
- Location
- National (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom from torture, Right to freedom of expression
- Description
- Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in his capacity as the commander of the police force, has been involved in the detention and torture of journalists and political activists. During his tenure, he repeatedly ordered the summoning and detention of journalists, filmmakers, internet activists, and bloggers. These detainees have provided accounts of harassment, torture, and coerced confessions during their detention and interrogation.
- Sources
- The incident of summoning a journalist to the Public Places Supervision Department, an interview with Firooz Gooran
https://www.radiofarda.com/a/1131652.html
Three Qom-based bloggers complained about their arrest, torture, and ongoing legal prosecution during a press conference.https://www.radiofarda.com/a/302062.html
Qalibaf: Summons to the Public Places Supervision Office is based on a judge's order. There are no detention centers outside the supervision of the Prison Organization within the Police Forcehttps://shorturl.at/1AN9q
Shahram Rafizadeh: During his tenure as the commander of the Law Enforcement Force, Qalibaf repeatedly violated civil and human rights.https://persian.iranhumanrights.org/1396/02/shahram-rafizadeh-ghalibaf/
Testimony of Fereshteh Ghazi, a journalist, from the period of detention and interrogationhttps://justice4iran.org/persian/documents/fereshteh-ghazi/
Mehrangiz Kar: The police force during Ghalibaf command was responsible for my wife's arrest and confessions under torturehttps://persian.iranhumanrights.org/1396/02/mehrangiz-kar-election/
Ghalibaf announced the negotiation with Khatami about Porzandhttps://jamejamonline.ir/fa/print/14717
- Human Rights Violation: Permission for military presence at the university dormitory and use of lethal force read more
- Head of Central Headquarters for Combating Commodity and Currency Trafficking (0000)
- Mayor, Tehran (0000)
- Human Rights Violation: Participation in suppressing the post-election peaceful protesters (2009) read more
- Institution
- Ministry of Interior
- Location
- Tehran
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom from torture, Right to freedom of assembly, Right to life
- Description
As mayor, Ghalibaf has been involved in the crackdown on peaceful protesters following the 2009 election results. In a speech at the Basij base in 2013, he acknowledged the illegal use of the municipality as part of a security apparatus to suppress peaceful protesters:
"In the case of sedition [the title used by government officials for popular protests], I used the name sedition from the beginning. Because I did security and intelligence work anyway, and I am an expert in this matter. At the top level, I have said that Sardar Soleimani and I probably made the biggest move to prevent the incident from Saturday to Thursday [after the election], and you should know about the municipality that the municipality is a public non-governmental organisation. According to the evaluation of the performance of various agencies after the sedition, the municipality of Tehran is ranked third among the five security agencies that worked in this area. This shows that the municipality has done its job in the style of security institutions."
- Sources
Ghalibaf defends himself in Basij base: I obtained the permission for the military presence and shooting at the university dormitory, Kaleme website, 15 May, 2013
https://www.kaleme.com/1392/02/25/klm-143690/
Full audio file of Ghalibaf's speech in the gathering of Basijis, 2013
- Human Rights Violation: Participation in suppressing the post-election peaceful protesters (2009) read more
- Commander of Najaf HQ (0000 - present)
- Member of Expediency Discernment Council (0000 - present)
- Speaker of Parliament (0000 - present)
- Human Rights Violation: Participation in institutionalising gender discrimination (May 2023) read more
- Institution
- Speaker of Parliament
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Women's rights
- Description
- Mohammad bagher Ghalibaf, in his capacity as the Speaker of Parliament, is responsible for endorsing the bill on hijab and chastity. If approved in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, this bill will lead to severe punishments for unveiled women and their exclusion from public services. Among the specified penalties in this bill is the prohibition of leaving the country and the confiscation of passports. Additionally, besides the law enforcement, Basij organizations, IRGC Intelligence, FRAJA Intelligence, the Ministry of Intelligence, and the Amr Bel Maroof and Nahi Anil Munkar Headquarters can also take field action against unveiled women
- Sources
- Qalibaf: All aspects of the chastity and hijab bill have been reviewed and will become law by the end of the month
- Human Rights Violation: Participation in institutionalising gender discrimination (May 2023) read more