IRGC interrogator Reza Seraj. (Twitter Screenshot)
He was involved in suppressing student protests in 2009 and was accused of personally escalating sentences for political prisoners.
A notorious Iranian interrogator has reportedly died following brain surgery on Saturday.
Reza Seraj’s career in Iran’s security apparatus spanned decades and was marked by controversy. Beginning in the 1990s, he rose through the ranks as a senior interrogator within IRGC Intelligence.
Operating under the alias “Alavi,” Seraj became notorious for extracting forced confessions through pressure and torture.
Throughout his career, Seraj held various high-ranking positions, including head of the Student Basij, political deputy of Sarallah Headquarters in Tehran, and head of the Special IRGC Intelligence Directorate.
He was involved in suppressing student protests in 2009 and was accused of personally escalating sentences for political prisoners, according to Iran International.
In 2023, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Seraj for his role in overseas assassination plots and human rights abuses in Iran.
He was also implicated in violent incidents against inmates, including the “Black Thursday” attack in Evin Prison in 2014.
Despite accusations from former political prisoners and activists about his involvement in torture and forced confessions, IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami praised Seraj for his role in confronting anti-government protests.
“Seraj played a significant role in confronting sedition and raising awareness in dealing with various deviations that threatened the Islamic Revolution,” Salami said in a statement.
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