Position in 1988 massacre: Prosecutor; member of the Dezful “Death Commission”

Present post and occupation: Minister of Justice (from September 2017); Head of the Presidency’s Inspectorate Office (until September 2017)

A.K.A. Alireza Avaie, Alireza Avaee, Seyyed Ali-Reza Avaee, Seyyed Alireza Avaei, Alireza Avayi

After receiving Khomeini’s fatwa, he reportedly was the main person in charge of executions in the UNESCO Prison in Dezful (A school facility built during the Shah’s regime by UNESCO to help children. It was transformed into a prison operating under the same name by the current regime).

He has been described by witnesses as one of the cruellest murderers of the prisoners during the 1988 mass executions. According to eye-witness accounts, teenage prisoners were executed in the area behind the prison yard.

The European Union put sanctions on Alireza Avaee and another two ministers in the form of a visa ban and asset freeze in October 2011 due to human rights abuses (Council Decision 2011/235/CFSP of 12 April 2011 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Iran). Link: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2011/1002/oj

The EU ban order described him as “Director of the special investigations office. Until July 2016 deputy Minister of Interior and head of the Public register. Advisor to the Disciplinary Court for Judges since April 2014. Former President of the Tehran Judiciary. As President of the Tehran Judiciary he has been responsible for human rights violations, arbitrary arrests, denials of prisoners’ rights and an increase in executions.”

The Treasury of the United Kingdom also put him among asset freeze targets in October 2011 for the same reason.

Avaei’s name is also included on Switzerland’s sanctions list for human rights violations.