Info:
Gholamreza Soleimani (Soleimani) commands the Basij, one of Iran’s most important domestic security resources. The Basij has been heavily involved in violent crackdowns in Iran, including following the June 2009 contested presidential election, and in November 2019, during Soleimani’s tenure, when the Basij reportedly were among the Iranian security organizations that collectively killed hundreds of Iranian men, women, and children. Treasury designated the Basij pursuant to E.O. 13553 on June 9, 2011, for, among other activity, its role in the 2009 post-election crackdown. Soleimani was sanctioned by the European Union in April 2021 for his role in the violent response to the November 2019 protests;
Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani was appointed by the Supreme Leader on July 2, 2019 as the Commander of the Basij Resistance Force, a paramilitary force subordinate to IRGC. Among other malign activities, the IRGC’s Basij militia recruits, trains, and deploys child soldiers to fight in IRGC-fueled conflicts across the region;
The Basij is one of the five forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. A paramilitary volunteer militia established in Iran in 1979 by order of Ayatollah Khomeini. The force was often present and reacting to the widespread 2009 Iranian election protests and 2017–18 Iranian protests. Along with the Iranian riot police and the Ansar-e-Hezbollah, the Basij have been active in suppressing student demonstrations in Iran. A Western analyst believed thousands of Iranian paramilitary Basij fighters were stationed in Syria as of December 2013. The Basij is enforcing the hijab, arresting women for violating the dress code, and arresting youths for attending mixed gender parties or being in public with unrelated members of the opposite sex, the Basij are used to spread the state’s ideology, serve as propaganda machine in political campaigns, justify clerical rule, protect politicians, and enforce Islamic morality and rules. They are part of the Islamic Republic’s of Iran’s overall avowed plan to have millions of informers. The Basiji also undermine dissent; for instance, they play a key role in suppressing uprisings and demonstrations;
Fars news agency quoted head of Basij Organization, Gholamreza Soleimani December 17, who said there are also plans to expand women’s Basij, establish a “Basij University” and other new projects;
Basij chief said Iranian democracy with executions and lashing is a model for the world;
Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani – IRGC in Isphahan is also known as Saheb al-Zaman Corps. It has been responsible for suppression of recent protests in the province and wounding and killings of dozens in towns of Qahdarijan, Shahin-Shahr, Homayoun-Shahr and Jouy-Shahr;
Positions:
Commander of Abolfazl 57 Brigade, Lorestan Province (1991 – 2001)
Commander of Basij Organisation, Lorestan Province (1991 – 2001)
Commander of 41 Sarallah Division (2001 – 2004)
Commander of Of Saheb-Al-Zaman Provincial Corps, Isfahan Province (2008 – 2019)
Head of Basij Organisation (2 Jun 2019 – present)
Human Rights Violation:
Suppression of post-election protests (Jun 2009)
Arresting cyber activists (19 Oct 2014)
Arrest and persecution of citizens because of their religious beliefs (18 Jul 2017)
Suppression of protesters (Dec 2017 – Jan 2018)
Killing and suppressing protesters (Nov 2019)
Also Known As:
Soleimani, Gholam Reza
Soleymani, Gholam Reza
Born:
1964
Country:
Iran
Nationality:
Iran
Rank:
Brigadier General
Commands:
Basij forces
Reason for the color:
» Added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on December 7, 2021 pursuant to Executive Order 13553 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Basij;
» Added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on January 10, 2020 pursuant to Executive Order 13876 for being persons appointed to a position as a state official of Iran by the Supreme Leader;
» On 12 April 2021, the Council of the European Union added 8 Iranian officials including Seyed Reza Mousavi Azami, to its list of human rights sanctions for their role in widespread and grave violations of the rights of Iranian citizens. According to the EU statement, “as the Commander of the Special Units, which have caused the deaths of and injuries to unarmed protesters and other civilians, Hassan Karami bears responsibility for serious human rights violations in Iran.” As a result of these sanctions, Karami has been banned from entering the EU and his assets in the EU have been frozen;