Ahmad-Reza Radan | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1963 Isfahan, Pahlavi Iran |
| Allegiance | Iran |
| Service | Revolutionary Guards Law Enforcement Command |
| Years of service | 1982– |
| Rank | Brigadier general |
| Battles / wars | Iran–Iraq War (WIA) |
Ahmad-Reza Radan (Persian: احمدرضا رادان) is an Iranian military officer who has served as Iran's Chief of police, the chief commander of the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran, since January 2023. His father, of Afghan origin, immigrated to Iran from Afghanistan's Takhar province in 1950.
He was deputy commander of the Iranian police[1] and Tehran's police chief, infamous for his crackdown on "un-Islamic" hair and dress styles.[2]
Radan started his career as a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards during the Iran–Iraq War. He also served as a commander during the war. Radan held various posts in the Islamic Republic of Iran Police (IRIP), including police commander of Razavi Khorasan Province. During the war, he was injured more than four times but returned to the war zone to defend his country against Iraqi forces.[citation needed]
Radan is well known for his actions regarding the Islamic dress code, the distribution of illegal drugs, and controlling gangs. He served as police commander of Kurdistan Province, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Khorasan Province, and Tehran Province, the most crucial province in Iran.
In 2009, he opposed the Iranian Green Movement and was sanctioned by the United States, and later the European Union, for human rights abuses.[3]
The United States has designated Radan as a person who is, "among other things, responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission of serious human rights abuses against citizens of Iran or their family members."[4]
- ^ "رادان از جانشینی فرمانده پلیس "کنار گذاشته شد" - فردا". رادیو فردا. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
- ^ "Iran cracks down on 'unIslamic' dress". Archived from the original on 2007-07-18. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
- ^ Farda, RFE/RL's Radio. "Iran's Leader Appoints Hard-Line Police Chief Blacklisted By U.S. For Rights Abuses". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
- ^ "Report to Congress: List of Persons Who Are Responsible for or Complicit in Certain Human Rights Abuses in Iran". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2022-01-27.