Overview

Yadollah Javani is the U.S.-designated deputy political commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).“Treasury Sanctions Iranian Leaders Responsible for Internet Shutdown and Violent Crackdown on Peaceful Protests,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, October 6, 2022, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0994. On October 6, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Javani as a Specially Designated National (SDN) for his role in acting on behalf of the IRGC and engaging in serious human rights abuses.“Treasury Sanctions Iranian Leaders Responsible for Internet Shutdown and Violent Crackdown on Peaceful Protests,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, October 6, 2022, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0994.

Javani is a veteran of the IRGC, an Iranian government agency tasked with defending the regime against internal and external threats. Before or around 2011, Javani took on the role of the IRGC’s political bureau chief. Accordingly, while in this role, the EU claims Javani repeatedly supported the use of violence and harsh interrogation tactics against protesters. Additionally, publications circulated among IRGC circles refer to Javani reportedly instructing security officials to carry out extrajudicial maltreatment of dissidents. “CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK,” Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation HM Treasury, October 10, 2022, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1110024/Iran__Human_Rights_.pdf. Due to his violent actions and standards, the EU sanctioned Javani on October 10, 2011.“REGULATIONS COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 1002/2011 of 10 October 2011 implementing Article 12(1) of Regulation (EU) No 359/2011 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Iran,” Official Journal of the European Union, October 12, 2011, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:267:0001:0006:EN:PDF.

Nonetheless, Javani continued to advance throughout the IRGC and served as advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative at the IRGC from at least July 6, 2017. Following that role, Javani reportedly started serving as deputy political commander sometime around March 2018.“Iran's Revolutionary Guards deny giving missiles to Houthis - Tasnim news,” Tasnim News, March 27, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-yemen-houthi-iran-idAFKBN1H30XT.

Given Javani’s continued affiliation with the IRGC, on December 31, 2020, the United Kingdom sanctioned Javani for not only suppressing free speech and discourse through supporting the arrest and punishment of protestors and dissenters, but also having knowledge of the IRGC’s harsh interrogation techniques to force confessions.“CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK,” Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation HM Treasury, October 10, 2022, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1110024/Iran__Human_Rights_.pdf.

In September 2022, the IRGC and the Basij joined in violently suppressing protests that erupted after the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died in custody after being detained by Tehran’s morality police, the Guidance Patrol, earlier in the month. The Guidance Patrol sent Amini to a detention center to undergo re-education when they claimed she was not wearing a hijab properly. She died three days later. In response, protests erupted across the country against Iran’s theocratic rule. On September 22, the IRGC issued a statement of support for Iranian police in combating the protests and accused protesters of sedition. At least 201 protesters were killed since the protests began after confrontations with Iranian security forces, but information has been limited due to disrupted and limited Internet access throughout the country.Arsalan Shahla, “Iran Launches Artillery Against Militants in Northern Iraq,” September 24, 2022, Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-24/iran-launches-artillery-against-militants-in-northern-iraq; “Exclusive: IRGC Commanders’ Families Placed in Tehran ‘Safe House,” Iran Wire, September 26, 2022, https://iranwire.com/en/iran/107958-exclusive-irgc-commanders-families-placed-in-tehran-safe-house; “IRGC will not hesitate to target origin of any anti-Iran operation wherever it may be: General,” Press TV, September 27, 2022, https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/09/27/689915/IRGC-will-not-hesitate-target-origin-any-anti-Iran-operation-General; Caitlin McFall, “The Guardian Patrol sent Amini to a detention center to undergo re-education when they claimed she was not wearing a hijab properly. She died three days later.,” Fox News, September 24, 2022, https://www.foxnews.com/world/protestors-clash-revolutionary-guard-northern-iran-torch-irgc-base-reports; “Iran’s Guards Break Their Silence, Warn Protesters,” Iran International, September 22, 2022, https://www.iranintl.com/en/202209229946; Parisa Hafezi, “Iranians keep up protests over Mahsa Amini death despite mounting fatalities,” Reuters, October 12, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranians-keep-up-protests-over-mahsa-amini-death-despite-growing-death-toll-2022-10-12.

Given the IRGC’s violent crackdown on protestors, on October 6, 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department designated Javani as an SDN for acting on behalf of the IRGC.“Iran-related Designations and Designation Update; Non-Proliferation Designation Update; Burma-related Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, October 6, 2022, https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions/20221006.