Retired Revolutionary Guard Commander Arrested, Intelligence Officials Disavow Knowledge

A reliable source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that the fate of activist and Iran-Iraq war era deputy Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Reza Farzin, remains unknown. Farzin was arrested two weeks ago by IRGC intelligence officers in Khorasan and transferred to an unknown location. The Intelligence Office of the City of Mashad disavowed knowledge regarding his whereabouts. Due to his heart condition, Farzin’s arrest has gravely worried his family. Farzin had open heart surgery last year and also suffers from hypertension.

The source who is close to the Farzin family, told the Campaign that nine intelligence officers of the IRGC stormed into Farzin’s home without presenting a warrant while his wife and daughters were without their hejab, dressed in comfortable clothing, and eating breakfast. “The intelligence officers inspected family photos and videos of the former IRGC commander, obscenely looked through the wardrobes of his daughters, insulted him and his family, and, in a word, violated the sanctity of this religious family,” the source said.

“The IRGC officers took away all family members’ mobile phones, a large number of books, personal computers, CD’s, videos, and his family photos. They even hacked into his personal computer and gained access to his Facebook password, for the purpose of building a case against him by posting some non-religious contents on his Facebook page, which has been deleted since. The IRGC intelligence officers, some of whom he knows, searched his house for four hours,” said the source.

During the reform era, Mohammad Reza Farzin was Mashad Municipality’s Cultural Deputy. He is also a film director, and until a month ago, was teaching a film directing course at Mashad’s Applied Sciences University. Due to his political activities and by orders from security officials, Farzin was removed from his professorship at the University, and was dismissed last month. All of his professional films and other equipment were confiscated by intelligence officers.

Farzin retired from the IRGC in the early 1990’s with the rank of Brigadier General.