Mirzaei, Haj Ahmad
"Haj Ahmad Mirzaei served as the head of the Tehran division of Iran’s Morality Police during Amini’s unjust detention and untimely death... Mirzaei [is] being designated pursuant to E.O. 13553 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Iran’s LEF."1
"Haj Ahmad Mirzaei as the Head of the Tehran division of Iran’s Morality Police is or has been involved in the commission of serious human rights violations or abuse in Iran. The Morality Police enforce Iran’s Islamic dress requirements and are known to use unreasonable force against individuals they deem to be non-compliant. In this role Mirzaei is responsible for and promotes violations of the right to liberty and security and the right to freedom of expression."2
"Haj Ahmad Mirzaei as the Head of the Tehran division of Iran’s Morality Police is or has been involved in the commission of serious human rights violations or abuse in Iran. The Morality Police enforce Iran’s Islamic dress requirements and are known to use unreasonable force against individuals they deem to be non-compliant. In this role Mirzaei is responsible for and promotes violations of the right to liberty and security and the right to freedom of expression."3
"Colonel Haj Ahmed Mirzaei has been the head of the Tehran branch of Iran’s Morality Police since 2018. The Morality Police is part of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) and is a special police unit which enforces the strict dress rules for women, including compulsory wearing of a headscarf. The Morality Police has used unlawful force against women for not complying with Iranian hijab laws, sexual and gender-based violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions, excessive violence and torture. On 13 September 2022, the Morality Police arbitrarily arrested 22-year old Mahsa Amini in Tehran, allegedly for wearing a hijab improperly. She was subsequently taken to the Morality Police’s headquarters for an “educational and orientation class”. According to reliable reports and witnesses, she was brutally beaten and mistreated in custody, which led to her hospitalisation and to her death on 16 September 2022. The Morality Police’s abusive behaviour is not confined to that incident and has been widely documented. As head of the Morality Police in Tehran, Mirzaei is responsible for the Morality Police’s actions in Tehran, including in its headquarters where Amini was beaten and mistreated. He therefore bears responsibility for serious human rights violations in Iran."4
Sources
1. https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0969
2. https://docs.fcdo.gov.uk/docs/UK-Sanctions-List.html