Hossein Ashtari
AKA: Hussein Ashtari Fard
- Head of Security Police (2005 - Jun 2014)
- Deputy of Chief Commander of Police (28 May 2014 - 9 Mar 2015)
- Head of Imam Hadi College of Intelligence Protection Studies at Imam Hossein University (Unknown)
- Chief Commander of Police (9 Mar 2015 - present)
- Human Rights Violation: Killing and suppressing protesters (28 Dec 2017 - Jan 2018) read more
- Institution
- The Police (NAJA)
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of assembly, Right to freedom of expression, Right to life
- Description
As the chief commander of the police force, he was responsible for the killing and brutal crackdown on protesters during the protests in 2017-2018.
The nationwide protests of 2017-2018, known as the protests of December 2017, were widespread demonstrations in protest of inflation and corruption, which began on 28 Dec 2017 in Mashhad and several cities in Khorasan province and quickly spread throughout Iran, including harsher anti-government slogans. .The crackdown on protesters led to the deaths of at least 25 protesters and detainees.
- Sources
“Iran: Investigate Killings of Protesters”, Human Rights Watch, 2 Jan 2018 https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/01/02/iran-investigate-killings-protesters
“Iranian Officials Confirm 25 Dead in Protests”, VOA News, 14 Jan 2018 https://www.voanews.com/world-news/middle-east-dont-use/iranian-officials-confirm-25-dead-protests
- Human Rights Violation: Violent suppression of women ( 9 March 2015-Present) read more
- Institution
- The Police (NAJA)
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom from torture, Right to privacy, Women's rights
- Description
-
As the chief commander of the police force, he has been responsible for harassing, detaining, and violently targeting women who do not observe or protest against the compulsory hijab perpetrated by the forces under his command.
- Sources
Video of police violently attack a young woman for defying compulsory hijab, 2018 https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Ashtari-1.mp4
“Iran Starts New Hijab Enforcement Plan To Suppress Women”, Iran Human Rights Monitor, 30 Aug 2019 https://iran-hrm.com/index.php/2019/08/30/iran-starts-new-hijab-enforcement-plan-to-suppress-women/
- Back up link“Tehran Police Chief Warns Hijab Protesters Of Zero Tolerance”, Radio Farda, 28 Feb 2018 https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-police-chief-hijab-protests-zero-tolerance/29067914.html
- Human Rights Violation: Suppressing Gonabadi Dervish minority ( 19-20 Feb 2018) read more
- Institution
- The Police (NAJA)
- Location
- Tehran
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom from torture, Right to freedom of assembly, Right to freedom of religion and belief
- Description
As the chief commander of the police force, he was responsible for the violent suppression of the Gonabadi dervishes by the forces under his command, in the events known as the "Seventh Golestan".
On 19 February 2018, a group of Gonabadi dervishes , (a religious minority belonging to the Sufi sect of Iran), gathered in protest of the arrest of fellow dervishes in the Pasdaran area of Tehran. On February 19, 2018, on 20 February, 2018, the protest was brutally suppressed by the security forces, the Basij and the IRGC.
- Sources
“ Iran: Crackdown on Dervish Minority” Human Rights Watch, 15 March 2018 https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/03/15/iran-crackdown-dervish-minority
Video of brutal crackdown of Gonabadi dervishes in Golestan Haftom, 2018 https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=950715181755388
- Human Rights Violation: Suppression of protesters (November 2019 ) read more
- Institution
- The Police (NAJA)
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom from torture, Right to freedom of assembly, Right to life
- Description
As the chief commander of the police force, he was responsible for the killing, brutal suppression, and mass arrests of protesters by the forces under his command, during the November 2019 protests.
The November 2019 protests were a series of widespread popular demonstrations against the Iranian government, which began on 15 November, 2019, in protest of the tripling of gasoline prices. They spread to 29 provinces in more than 100 cities across the country. According to Amnesty International, at least 304 people were killed in the protests.
- Sources
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
“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/
Shoot to Kill:Preliminary Findings of Justice For Iran’s Investigation into the November 2019 Protests, February 2020, p 13
“Anti-Revolutionary organizations behind recent unrest in Iran: Police chief”, Mehr News, 17 Nov 2019 https://en.mehrnews.com/news/152369/Anti-Revolutionary-organizations-behind-recent-unrest-in-Iran
- Human Rights Violation: Killing and suppressing protesters (28 Dec 2017 - Jan 2018) read more
- Member of the Supreme Council for Cyberspace (9 Mar 2015 - present)
- Human Rights Violation: Blocking free access to internet (9 March 2015-Present) read more
- Institution
- Supreme Council of Cyberspace
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of expression
- Description
-
As a member of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, he has been involved in passing laws with the purpose of blocking, and censoring the internet and prosecution of cyberspace users.
- Sources
“ WGDICC to discuss Telegram filtering”, Mehr News, 26 Oct 2015 https://en.mehrnews.com/news/111383/WGDICC-to-discuss-Telegram-filtering
- Back up link“Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace announces plans for social media monitoring”, Al Monitor, 23 Feb 2016 https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/ar/originals/2016/02/iran-social-media-telegram-election-candidates.html
- Human Rights Violation: Blocking free access to internet (9 March 2015-Present) read more
On 20 May, 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that Ashtari had been placed on a list of human rights sanctions for his role in widespread human rights abuses. Under the decision, all of Ashtari's assets on US soil or under the control of US 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 Hossein Ashtari, 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, “as a member of the National Security Council, Hossein Ashtari took part in the sessions that resulted in the orders to use lethal force to suppress the November 2019 protests.” As a result of these sanctions, Ashtari has been banned from entering the EU and his assets in the EU have been frozen.