Info:
The Special Units of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF Special Units) are the dedicated crowd control and protest suppression unit of Iran’s LEF, one of the Government of Iran’s main security apparatuses that played a key role in the crackdown on protesters in the aftermath of the disputed Iranian presidential election in 2009. Serious human rights abuses against prisoners detained in the post-election protests also occurred at a detention facility run by the LEF. Treasury designated the LEF pursuant to E.O. 13553 on June 9, 2011, for its role in the post-election crackdown. The LEF Special Units were also involved in the post-election protest suppression in 2009 and have been called upon to forcefully put down multiple nationwide protests since then, including the November 2019 protests resulting from gasoline price increases, during which Iranian security forces killed hundreds of Iranian protestors. The LEF Special Units were one of the main security forces on the ground in November 2019, alongside units of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s Basij Resistance Force (Basij), a paramilitary force subordinate to the IRGC. In multiple locations throughout Iran, LEF Special Units forces, along with those of a subunit, Iran’s Counter-Terror Special Forces (NOPO), used excessive and lethal force, firing upon unarmed protestors, including women and children, with automatic weapons. NOPO forces blocked main streets with armed vehicles and fired randomly at crowds with heavy machine guns;
The LEF Special Units and NOPO are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13553 for being persons acting on behalf of the Government of Iran responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission of serious human rights abuses against persons in Iran or Iranian citizens or residents, or the family members of the foregoing, on or after June 12, 2009, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Iran. The LEF Special Units are also being designated pursuant to E.O. 13553 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces. NOPO is also being designated pursuant to E.O. 13553 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the LEF Special Units;
Hassan Karami (Karami) is the commander of the LEF Special Units and has overseen the unit during periods of nationwide unrest during which the LEF Special Units have employed excessive and lethal force against Iranian unarmed protestors, including during November 2019. He was sanctioned by the European Union in April 2021 for his role in the violent response to the November 2019 protests;
Seyed Reza Mousavi Azami (Azami) commands a brigade of the LEF Special Units;
Involved In:
Nuclear Weapon Program
Missile Weapon Program
Type:
Government Entity
Also Known As:
Special Units of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces
Iranian Police Special Units
LEF Special units
NAJA Special Units
Yegan-E Vizhe
YEGOP
Country:
Iran
Person of interests:
Hassan Karami – commander of the LEF Special Units
Seyed Reza Mousavi Azami – commands a brigade of the LEF Special Units