Mohammad Reza Naqdi

Mohammad Reza Naqdi
Born	February 11, 1949 (1949-02-11) (age 62) Najaf, Iraq
Allegiance	AGIR
Years of service	1981 –
Rank	Brigadier General
Unit	Basij
Commands held	Commander of the Basij
Battles/wars	Iran-Iraq War Iran-PJAK conflict

Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, (also Mohammad-Reza Naghdi), is the commander of the Basij paramilitary force of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He was appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in October 2009, replacing Hossein Taeb. He has been described as possessing "conservative credentials" and his appointment has been said (by Mohsen Sazegara) to have "shattered the hopes and plans of those who thought they could ease" the unrest and protest following the reelection of President Ahmadinejad.^[1][2] Earlier in his career he served as the Iranian Police Force's Counter-Intelligence Chief ^[3] and is also reported to have been involved in "crackdowns" during the 1997-2005 administration of Khatami including the 1999 student protests.^[1] Amnesty International reported that in March 1999 Iranian authorities announced that General Naqdi, chief of police intelligence at the time, to be tried in May by a military court along with 10 of his subordinates. "The charges against them are believed to include `unlawful arrest` and `using torture to elicit confessions`."^[4] He was found not guilty.

2011 protests

On February 14, 2011 Naqdi was quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency as saying he believed the February protests in Iran had been started by "western spies" and that "western intelligence agencies are searching for a mentally challenged person who can set himself on fire in Tehran to trigger developments like those in Egypt and Tunisia."^[5] Naqdi was also quoted as saying the basij were "ready to sacrifice their lives" to defend the Islamic regime, and likened the opposition to the "party of Satan."^[6]

Two weeks later on February 23, 2011, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on General Naqdi, for "for being responsible for or complicit in serious human rights abuses in Iran",^[7] adding him to the Office of Foreign Assets Control blacklist. The action subjects him "to visa sanctions" and "seeks to block any assets" he may have under U.S. jurisdiction, and "bans U.S. citizens from financial transactions with them".^[8]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Iran Military Moves Could Provide Greater Muscle Against Critics, RFERL October 08, 2009 By Golnaz Esfandiari
2. ^ quote from "Mohsen Sazagara, an exiled cofounder of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) who has since fallen out of favor with Iran's political leadership." RFERL October 08, 2009
3. ^ Journalism in Iran: from mission to profession, Hossein Shahidi, 2007, page 88
4. ^ Selected events in the Middle East and North Africa from January to June 1999, Annual report updates, AI Index: POL 10/05/99
5. ^ Saeed Kamali Dehghan (14 February 2011). "Iran protests see reinvigorated activists take to the streets in thousands". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/14/iran-protests-reinvigorated-activists. Retrieved 14 February 2011. 
6. ^ Thousands demonstrate in Iran despite ban, By Jay Deshmukh (AFP) 14 February 2011
7. ^ Departments of the Treasury and State Announce Designations for Human Rights Abuses in Iran, state.gov, February 23, 2011
8. ^ U.S. Hits Iranian Officials With Sanctions Over Rights Abuses

Military offices
Preceded by Hossein Taeb	Commander of Basij 2009- Present	Succeeded by Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Naqdi, Mohammad Reza
Alternative names
Short description	Brigadier General
Date of birth	1949-02-11
Place of birth	Tabriz, Iran
Date of death
Place of death