New Report: Islamic Republic Has Killed or Abducted ‘At Least 540 Iranians’ Abroad

The Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights, citing news of the Islamic Republic’s attempt to abduct Masih Alinejad, a journalist and political activist living in America, published a report and statement noting that the Iranian government has “a long reach” in this regard, and the Boroumand Foundation “has identified over 540 Iranians in its ongoing investigations whose killing or successful abduction is attributed to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation, which works in defense of human rights in Iran and has its office in Washington, further emphasizes in its report that “this figure does not include all reported cases.”

According to the report, since the 1979 Revolution, Islamic Republic agents have carried out hundreds of attacks against refugees in various countries, and because they have usually been immune from any punishment, they have continuously repeated these attacks.

The report states that countries must ensure the protection of the rights of refugees they have accepted to host and hold the Islamic Republic accountable for its systematic use of violence to silence opponents and for expanding its assassination apparatus on their soil.

In its statement, the Boroumand Foundation called for “decisive and internationally coordinated action against these crimes” and, while requesting “access to fair, equal, and effective justice for victims,” emphasized “effective justice for victims, including compensation.”

Details of the Killing or Abduction of ‘540 Iranians’

The Boroumand Foundation writes about the Islamic Republic’s “successful” efforts to kill or abduct Iranians outside the country, noting that Iran’s neighboring countries, as well as countries where transparency and accountability have not been priorities of the government apparatus, have experienced more attacks than other countries.

According to the report, the highest number of successful attacks have occurred in Iraq (30 cases) excluding Iraqi Kurdistan (380 cases), Pakistan (30), and Turkey (28). France (13 cases), Afghanistan (at least 9 cases), and Germany rank in subsequent positions. Fewer opponents and dissidents have been killed in Austria, Switzerland, Britain, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Azerbaijan, India, the Philippines, Poland, Spain, and other countries.

The number of killings peaked in the 1990s with over 397 cases (329 people in Iraqi Kurdistan) and then declined in the 2000s with 20 identified killings, “but never stopped. Thus, abductions, disappearances, and extrajudicial killings have for more than four decades been causing terror among the Iranian diaspora community.”

According to the Boroumand Human Rights Foundation, “The recent plot by Iranian intelligence operatives is the latest example of the Islamic Republic’s series of failed attempts, among which one can point to the bombing plot at a conference of one opposition group in Paris (July 2018) and the plan to abduct human rights activist Baluch, Habibollah Sarbazi in Turkey (July 2019). Recent attacks that have been successful include the killing of regime opponents Mohammadresa Kolahi Samadi (December 15, 2015) and Ahmad Mola Nissi (November 8, 2017) in the Netherlands, Ibrahim Safizadeh in Afghanistan (May 21, 2019), Masoud Molavi Vardanjani in Turkey (November 14, 2019), and the abduction of journalist and Iranian government opponent Rouhollah Zam in Iraq (September 2019) and his execution in Iran (December 12, 2020).”

The report states that “these men and women fled oppression in their own country and believed that the countries where they had sought refuge would protect them. But in most cases, host countries fell short in protecting them and deprived them of access to justice and truth.”

Previously, on July 23, nearly 500 political and civil activists also issued a statement referring to the Islamic Republic government’s plan to abduct Masih Alinejad, a journalist and political activist living in America, calling on world governments and international organizations and bodies to “decisively and responsibly protect the lives and security of citizens and refugees fleeing Iran and not provide kidnappers, terrorists, and the regime’s lobbies with the opportunity to carry out anti-human and terrorist acts.”

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on July 14 in a statement that a four-member team affiliated with Iranian intelligence attempted to abduct Masih Alinejad, a journalist and human rights activist, from New York.

The journalist’s name was not mentioned in the U.S. Department of Justice statement, but Ms. Alinejad confirmed in an interview with Radio Farda that she was the target of this abduction plot.

Source: Radio Farda