Name:
Mohammad Saleh Joukar
Biography:
Mohammad Saleh Joukar was born in Yazd, Iran in 1957. He holds a doctorate in Threats to National Security from the National Defense University.
Positions:
- Founder of the Islamic Revolutionary Committee of Yazd in 1983
- Head of the Basij forces in Yazd
- Commander for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Yazd, Hormozgan, and Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari
- Founder of national Islamic student-teacher task force groups
- Head of the National Student Basij Organisation
- Founder of the Khatam Olanbia Education Complex in Yazd during 1994
- Creator of the Provincial Student Plan in 1999
- Representative for the people of Yazd in the 9th Majles from 2011 to 2015
- President of Imam Hossein University in Yazd from 1996 to present
- Deputy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ legal and parliamentary guards from 10 December 2017 to present
Human rights violations (in chronological order):
As head of the National Student Basij Organisation, Mohammad Saleh Joukar used his position to violate human rights and suppress students, by influencing educators using schemes to introduce more Islamic propaganda into educators’ agendas, such as pro-chastity and pro-hijab messages.
- Vote Suppression
In 2009, Joukar played a key role in vote suppression, as Basij forces arrested peaceful protesters.
- Arresting Activists and Journalists
Acting alongside the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence’s officials in 2011, Joukar was involved in the arrests of 17 journalists and media activists.
- E.U. Sanctions
On 10 October 2011, the European Union published the names of 29 officials from the Islamic Republic of Iran, including Mohammad Saleh Joukar, whom the E.U. asserts are “responsible for serious human rights violations” and is thus subjecting to travel bans and asset freezes.[1] Joukar has stated that he is proud of being sanctioned.
- Peaceful Protest Suppression
Joukar threatened peaceful protesters on 2 January 2018, invoking the suppression that took place in 2009 and suggesting that government-backed would respond to the protests by using the same violent tactics employed then.
[1] EU Council statement on 10 October 2011
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