Mohammad Javad Zarif
- Advisor to Iran’s Consulate General in San Francisco (0000)
- Member of the Iranian delegation to the United Nation (0000)
- Iran’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nation (0000)
- Legal and International Deputy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (0000)
- Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nation (0000)
- Senior Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (0000)
- Minister of Foreign Affairs (0000)
- Human Rights Violation: Participation in plotting a terrorist attack on political dissidents (2018) read more
- Institution
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Location
- France, Germany, Belgium, Austria
- Rights Violated
- Right to life
- Description
As the Minister of Foreign Affair, Zarif has been responsible for the complicity of his ministry in direct cooperation with the Ministry of Intelligence, in plotting and executing a bombing attack on a gathering organised by the Mojahedeen Khalgh Organisation (MEKO) in Paris.
On 10 June, 2018, the German police arrested Asadollah Asadi, a Vienna based high rank Iranian diplomat on the charges of leading a terrorist cell in an attempted bombing at a MEKO gathering in Paris. Asadi was tried, convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison on 4February, 2021.
- Sources
Iranian Diplomat Arrested In Belgium Threatens Authorities, Radio Farda, 12 October, 2020
https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iranian-diplomat-arrested-in-belgium-threatens-authorities/30888973.html
Belgium To Try Iranian Diplomat Accused Of Planned Terrorist Attack In France, Radio Farda, 16 July 2020
Belgian court sentences Iranian diplomat to 20 years over bomb plot, The Guardian, February 2021
- Human Rights Violation: Participation in the assassination of political dissidents ( 14 November 2019) read more
- Institution
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Location
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Rights Violated
- Right to life
- Description
As the Minister of Foreign Affair, Zarif has been responsible for the complicity of his ministry in plotting and executing the assassination of Massoud Molavi Vardanjani.
Massoud Molavi Vardanjani was the administrator of a telegram channel called “the Black Box”, which published classified information on the involvement of members of Ali Khamenei's office, as well as the commanders of the IRGC in several corruption cases. Molavi was shot dead on 14 November 2019 in Istanbul, Turkey.
On 11 February, 2021, Turkey arrested an Iranian diplomat, Mohammad Reza Nasserzadeh, in connection with the assassination of Molavai.
- Sources
Exclusive: Iranian diplomats instigated killing of dissident in Istanbul, Turkish officials say, Reuters, 27 March 2020
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-iran-killing-exclusive-idUSKBN21E3FU
Turkey holds Iranian diplomat over dissident's assassination, The Times, 2 February 2021
Exclusive: Iranian diplomats instigated killing of dissident in Istanbul, Turkish officials say, Reuters, 27 March 2020
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-iran-killing-exclusive-idUSKBN21E3FU
U.S. believes Iran was 'directly involved' in killing of Iranian dissident in Turkey, Reuters, 2 April 2020
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-iran-killing-usa-idUSKBN21K027
- Human Rights Violation: Participation in plotting a terrorist attack on political dissidents (2018) read more
- Iran’s Chief Nuclear Negotiator (0000)
On 31 June, 2019, The U.S Department of Treasury added Zarif to its list of sanctions in accordance with Executive Order 13876, for his role in violation of human rights and pursuing Ali Khamenei’s orders. According to the U.S Treasury statement "At the same time the Iranian regime denies Iranian citizens' access to social media, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif spreads the regime's propaganda and disinformation around the world through these mediums."
As a result of these sanctions, Zarif’s assets in the US were frozen and he was barred from entering the United States.