Ministry of Intelligence (Iran)
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of Intelligence and National Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran (MISIRI) (Persian
: وزارت اطّلاعات جمهوری اسلامی ایران Vezarat-e Ettela'at Jomhouri-ye Eslami-ye Iran) is the secret police
and primary intelligence agency
of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is also known as VEVAK (Vezarat-e Ettela'at va Amniyat-e Keshvar) or VAJA or alternatively MOIS. It was initially known as SAVAMA, when it took over the previous governments
intelligence apparatus
. It remains an important part of the Iranian government's security apparatus, and is well funded and equipped. In 1999, "rogue elements" of the ministry were held responsible for the infamous serial murders of dissident writers and intellectuals
, including assassination of Iranian political dissidents inside and outside the country.
, Iran's intelligence agency during the rule of the Shah
, but it is unclear how much continuity there is between the two organizations—while their role is similar, their underlying ideology is radically different. It is suspected that the new government was initially eager to purge SAVAK elements from the new organization, but that pragmatism eventually prevailed, with many experienced SAVAK personnel being retained in their roles. Former SAVAK staff are believed to have been important in the ministry's infiltration of left-wing dissident groups and of the Iraq
i Ba'ath Party.
The formation of the ministry was proposed by Saeed Hajjarian
to the government of Mir-Hossein Mousavi
and then the parliament
. There were debates about which branch of the state should oversee the new institution, and the other options apart from the presidency
were the Judiciary system
, the Supreme Leader
, and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
. Finally, the government could get the approval of Ayatollah Khomeini to make it a ministry, but a restriction was added to the requirements of the minister, needing him to be a doctor of Islam.
The ministry was finally founded on August 18, 1984, abandoning many small intelligence agencies that were formed in different governmental organizations. The five ministers since the founding of the ministry, have been Mohammad Reyshahri
(under Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi), Ali Fallahian
(under President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani), Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi
(under President Mohammad Khatami
, resigned after a year), Ali Younessi (under President Khatami, until August 24, 2005), Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejehei
(under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, from August 24, 2005 to August 24, 2009) and Heyder Moslehi
(under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, from August 29, 2009)
After great public outcry and journalistic investigation in Iran and publicity internationally, prosecutors announced in mid-1999 that one Saeed Emami had led "rogue elements" in Iran's intelligence ministry in the killings, but that Emami was now dead having committed suicide in prison. In a trial that was "dismissed as a sham by the victims' families and international human rights organisations", three intelligence ministry agents were sentenced in 2001 to death and twelve others to prison terms for murdering two of the victims. Two years later, the Iranian Supreme Court reduced two of the death sentences to life.
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: وزارت اطّلاعات جمهوری اسلامی ایران Vezarat-e Ettela'at Jomhouri-ye Eslami-ye Iran) is the secret police
Secret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
and primary intelligence agency
Intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is also known as VEVAK (Vezarat-e Ettela'at va Amniyat-e Keshvar) or VAJA or alternatively MOIS. It was initially known as SAVAMA, when it took over the previous governments
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi (reg. 1925–1941) and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty ...
intelligence apparatus
SAVAK
SAVAK was the secret police, domestic security and intelligence service established by Iran's Mohammad Reza Shah on the recommendation of the British Government and with the help of the United States' Central Intelligence Agency SAVAK (Persian: ساواک, short for سازمان اطلاعات و امنیت کشور...
. It remains an important part of the Iranian government's security apparatus, and is well funded and equipped. In 1999, "rogue elements" of the ministry were held responsible for the infamous serial murders of dissident writers and intellectuals
Chain murders of Iran
The Chain Murders of Iran , or Serial Murders, were a series of murders and disappearances from 1988-1998 by Iranian government operatives of Iranian dissident intellectuals who had been critical of the Islamic Republic system in some way.The victims included more than 80 writers, translators,...
, including assassination of Iranian political dissidents inside and outside the country.
History
Information on the ministry is often difficult to obtain. Initially, the organization was known as SAVAMA, and intended to replace SAVAKSAVAK
SAVAK was the secret police, domestic security and intelligence service established by Iran's Mohammad Reza Shah on the recommendation of the British Government and with the help of the United States' Central Intelligence Agency SAVAK (Persian: ساواک, short for سازمان اطلاعات و امنیت کشور...
, Iran's intelligence agency during the rule of the Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
, but it is unclear how much continuity there is between the two organizations—while their role is similar, their underlying ideology is radically different. It is suspected that the new government was initially eager to purge SAVAK elements from the new organization, but that pragmatism eventually prevailed, with many experienced SAVAK personnel being retained in their roles. Former SAVAK staff are believed to have been important in the ministry's infiltration of left-wing dissident groups and of the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Ba'ath Party.
The formation of the ministry was proposed by Saeed Hajjarian
Saeed Hajjarian
Saeed Hajjarian is an Iranian intellectual, prominent journalist, pro-democracy activist and university lecturer. He has been an intelligence official, a member of Tehran's city council, and advisor to president Mohammad Khatami...
to the government of Mir-Hossein Mousavi
Mir-Hossein Mousavi
Mir-Hossein Mousavi Khameneh is an Iranian reformist politician, artist and architect who served as the seventy-ninth and last Prime Minister of Iran from 1981 to 1989. He was a Reformist candidate for the 2009 presidential election and eventually the leader of the opposition in the post-election...
and then the parliament
Majlis of Iran
The National Consultative Assembly of Iran , also called The Iranian Parliament or People's House, is the national legislative body of Iran...
. There were debates about which branch of the state should oversee the new institution, and the other options apart from the presidency
President of Iran
The President of Iran is the highest popularly elected official in, and the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran; although subordinate to the Supreme Leader of Iran, who functions as the country's head of state...
were the Judiciary system
Judicial system of Iran
A nationwide judicial system in Iran was first implemented and established by Abdolhossein Teymourtash under Reza Shah, with further changes during the second Pahlavi era....
, the Supreme Leader
Supreme Leader of Iran
The Supreme Leader of Iran is the highest ranking political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The post was established by the constitution in accordance with the concept of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists...
, and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
The Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution , often called Revolutionary Guards, is a branch of Iran's military, founded after the Iranian revolution...
. Finally, the government could get the approval of Ayatollah Khomeini to make it a ministry, but a restriction was added to the requirements of the minister, needing him to be a doctor of Islam.
The ministry was finally founded on August 18, 1984, abandoning many small intelligence agencies that were formed in different governmental organizations. The five ministers since the founding of the ministry, have been Mohammad Reyshahri
Mohammad Reyshahri
Mohammad Reyshahri , best known as Reyshahri, is an Iranian politician and cleric who was first Iranian Minister of Intelligence of Islamic Republic of Iran from 1984 to 1989 in cabinet of Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi.-Biography:Reyshahri was born in Rey.He married the daughter of Ayatollah...
(under Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi), Ali Fallahian
Ali Fallahian
Hojatoleslam Ali Fallahian, is an Iranian politician and cleric. He has served as a member of the 3rd Assembly of Experts of the IRI and as the Minister of Intelligence of Islamic Republic of Iran in cabinet of President Hashemi Rafsanjani...
(under President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani), Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi
Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi
Ayatollah Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi is an Iranian politician and cleric, previously the Minister of Intelligence of Islamic Republic of Iran...
(under President Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami
Sayyid Mohammad Khātamī is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, Shiite theologian and Reformist politician. He served as the fifth President of Iran from August 2, 1997 to August 3, 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture in both the 1980s and 1990s...
, resigned after a year), Ali Younessi (under President Khatami, until August 24, 2005), Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejehei
Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejehei
Hojjatol-Islam Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i was the head of the Ministry of Intelligence in Iran from 2005 to July 2009, when he was abruptly dismissed. On August 24, 2009 he was appointed prosecutor general of the country by new judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani. He has also held a number...
(under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, from August 24, 2005 to August 24, 2009) and Heyder Moslehi
Heyder Moslehi
Hojjatol-Islam Heydar Moslehi is the head of the Ministry of Intelligence in Iran. He was originally appointed on 5 August 2009. He resigned from his position on 17 April 2011 after being asked to resign by Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He was reinstated in his position by the Supreme...
(under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, from August 29, 2009)
Chain Murders
In late 1998, three dissident writers, a political leader and his wife were murdered in Iran in the span of two months.After great public outcry and journalistic investigation in Iran and publicity internationally, prosecutors announced in mid-1999 that one Saeed Emami had led "rogue elements" in Iran's intelligence ministry in the killings, but that Emami was now dead having committed suicide in prison. In a trial that was "dismissed as a sham by the victims' families and international human rights organisations", three intelligence ministry agents were sentenced in 2001 to death and twelve others to prison terms for murdering two of the victims. Two years later, the Iranian Supreme Court reduced two of the death sentences to life.
See also
- Saeed EmamiSaeed EmamiSaeed Emami was the Iranian deputy minister of intelligence under Ali Fallahian, and an intelligence officer under Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi. The Islamic government accused him of having independently organized the assassinations of dissidents shortly after he allegedly committing...
- Ali FallahianAli FallahianHojatoleslam Ali Fallahian, is an Iranian politician and cleric. He has served as a member of the 3rd Assembly of Experts of the IRI and as the Minister of Intelligence of Islamic Republic of Iran in cabinet of President Hashemi Rafsanjani...
- Justice Ministry of Iran
- Interior Ministry of Iran
- Oghab 2Oghab 2Ouqab 2 is an Iranian counter-espionage agency set up in December 2005 aimed at protecting its nuclear programme against external operations. Its creation would have been decided after the arrest of two foreign agents collecting information about two previously unknown nuclear plants in Parchin and...
External links
- Covert Terror: Iran's Parallel Intelligence Apparatus
- Murder at Mykonos: The Anatomy of a Political Assassination
- No Safe Haven: Iran's Global Assassination Campaign
- Iran Terror Database, a website with allegations about Iran's intelligence activities
- Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) Vezarat-e Ettela'at va Amniat-e Keshvar VEVAK
Further reading
- Yves Bonnet, Vevak, au service des ayatollahs : Histoire des services secrets iraniens, Timée-éditions, Boulogne-Billancourt, 2009. ISBN 978-2-35401-001-0 (fr)