Seyed Esmail Khatib
- Head of the Intelligence Department, Qom (Qom Province) (1991 - 2003)
- chief warden of the Supreme Leader’s Office, National (2010 - 15 May 2012)
- head of the Information Protection Center of the Judiciary, Tehran (Tehran Province) (15 May 2012 - 8 Jul 2019)
- head of Astan Quds Razavi Security, Mashhad (Razavi Khorasan Province) (3 Jun 2019 - 25 Aug 2021)
- Ministry of Intelligence, National (25 Aug 2021 - 18 Mar 2026)
- Human Rights Violation: Detention and oppression of the Baha’i (May-Sep 2022) read more
- Institution
- Ministry of Intelligence
- Location
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of religion and belief, Right to non-discrimination
- Description
As the Minister of Intelligence, Seyed Ismaeil Khatib is responsible for the oppression and mass detention of Baha’i citizens. This includes 64 Baha’i citizens who were either detained or had their businesses shut down in various cities between June and July 2022 as well as the arrest of 14 Baha’is in Ghaemshahr on 31 August 2022.
- Sources
Fourteen Baha’i citizens were arrested in Mazandaran
https://iranwire.com/fa/news-1/107119-%DA%86%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%A6%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%86%D8%AF/
The Ministry of Intelligence arrested members of the central core of the Baha’i spy party
https://farsnews.ir/news/14010510000531/%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B6%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%87%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87%E2%80%8C-%D9%85%D8%B1%DA%A9%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%A6%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF
https://www.iranintl.com/202207211108
- Human Rights Violation: Destruction of Mass Graves of Political Prisoners and Violation of Baha (March 2021 - Present) read more
- Institution
- Ministry of Intelligence
- Location
- Tehran (Tehran Province)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of religion and belief, Right to non-discrimination
- Description
- Seyed Esmaeil Khatib, in his capacity as the Minister of Intelligence, is responsible for the secret or forced burial of the bodies of Baha'is in the mass graves of Khavaran. Khatib has also responsibility in the unlawful detention of four members of the Baha'i community who protested against this process and the violation of the rights of the families of deceased Baha'is to bury their loved ones according to their religious rituals. The mass graves are located near Khavaran Cultural Center in Tehran, adjacent to Golistan Javid Cemetery, the burial place of Tehran's Baha'is. The mass graves are the burial site of hundreds of political prisoners who were victims of a massacre in 1988.
- Sources
- Baha'is' Cemetery and the Islamic Republic; A Less Heard Tale of Oppression
https://iranwire.com/fa/features/117170-%DA%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88-%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%B8%D9%84%D9%85-%DA%A9%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%87/
Expression of Concern by the Global Baha'i Community about the Forced Burial of Baha'is in Khavaran Cemeteryhttps://www.hra-news.org/statements/a-687/
- Human Rights Violation: Preventing independent and transparent investigation into the poisoning of students (0000 - present) read more
- Institution
- Ministry of Intelligence
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Children's rights, Right to freedom from torture, Right to life
- Description
- Seyed Ismaeil Khatib, the Minister of Intelligence, is responsible for preventing the discovery of truth as well as identification, trial, and punishment of the real perpetrators of widespread poisoning of students, especially schoolgirls.
On 30 November 2022, the news of a poison attack at a girls’ school in Qom was published. Several videos and reports were published afterwards suggesting that the poisoning of students was spreading to schools in other cities of Iran.
Seyed Ismaeil Khatib and other Iranian authorities have failed to identify and hold accountable the perpetrators of the chemical attacks on schools. They continue to make contradictory statements and have blamed the enemies of the Islamic Republic for these incidents.
In fact, many believe that these poisonings were a form of vengeance against the school girls who took part in the protests after the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in September 2022.
The 2022-23 protests began following the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini on September 13, 2022, in the detention of the morality police of the Islamic Republic. These protests quickly spread across the country and are remembered as the largest revolutionary uprising against the government since the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
The Iranian government responded to these protests with deadly violence. According to human rights organizations, the security forces of the Islamic Republic have killed at least 551 people, with a minimum of 68 of them being children.
- Sources
- The Ministry of Information of the Islamic Republic denied the use of "toxic substances" in chain attacks on mostly girls' schools in Iran
https://www.radiofarda.com/a/suspected-poising-schoolgirls-iran-security-statesment/32384126.html
- Human Rights Violation: Participation in the killing and oppression of protesters during the 2022 uprising (16 Sep 2022 - present) read more
- Institution
- Ministry of Intelligence
- Location
- National (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom from torture, Right to freedom of assembly, Right to freedom of expression, Right to life
- Description
As the Minister of Intelligence and the member of the Country’s Security Council, Seyed Ismail Khatib is responsible for killing, arresting, and torturing protesters during the 2022-2023 uprising of the Iranian people.
The 2022-23 protests began following the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini on September 13, 2022, in the detention of the morality police of the Islamic Republic. These protests quickly spread across the country and are remembered as the largest revolutionary uprising against the government since the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
The Iranian government responded to these protests with deadly violence. According to human rights organizations, the security forces of the Islamic Republic have killed at least 551 people, with a minimum of 68 of them being children.
- Sources
- Minister of Intelligence: those involved in riots against the people will be punished
https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1401/09/22/2821046/%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%87%D8%B1%DA%A9%D8%B3-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A2%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%A8-%D8%B9%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%85-%D9%86%D9%82%D8%B4-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF-%D8%B4%D8%AF
The detention of the members of an organized network in Qom by the Ministry of Intelligencehttps://www.etemadonline.com/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C-9/575932-%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%DA%AF%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D9%81%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%B4%D8%A8%DA%A9%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%82%D9%85-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7-%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA
Enemies sought to bring down the Islamic Republic/ the discovery of an anti-revolutionary team in Isfahanhttps://www.irna.ir/news/85040631/%D8%AF%D8%B4%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%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%AF%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%AF-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%81-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%B6%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A8
https://justice4iran.org/16670/
One Year Protest Report: At Least 551 Killed and 22 Suspicious Deathshttps://iranhr.net/en/articles/6200/
- Human Rights Violation: Detention and oppression of the Baha’i (May-Sep 2022) read more
- Member of IRGC, National (1980 -Unknown)
1. On 30 August 2022, the US Department of the Treasury sanctioned Seyed Esmail Khatib for engaging in cyberattacks against the United States and its Allies.
According to the statement of the US Treasury Department, all assets of Seyed Esmaeil Khatib in the United States will be frozen and American individuals and companies will be prohibited from doing business with him.
On October 3, 2022, the Canadian government sanctioned Esmail Khatib due to serious and systematic human rights violations and repressive actions during the 2022-2023 protests. According to the statement, transactions with this human rights violator are prohibited, any of his assets in Canada are frozen, and he is barred from entering Canadian territory.