Pro-Iranian-regime singer and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij paramilitary force member, Hamidreza Rajabzadeh, was abducted and killed, according to Iranian state media, last week.
Two weeks after he went missing, Rajabzadeh’s family reportedly received a video showing him being tortured and killed, which was subsequently circulated on anti-regime channels, according to the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency. His body has not yet been returned, according to the reports.
Iran’s police and the IRGC have given differing accounts of the motive behind the killing. Fars reported that the group “Ashtara Zero Day” had begun paying individuals affiliated with the Mojahedin-e Khalq, a dissident group also known as the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, and supporters of the Pahlavi monarchy to abduct and kill IRGC officials.
However, Deputy Interior Minister Aliakbar Pourjamshidian said this morning that the investigation was ongoing, while police said they were still determining whether the Basij member’s death had a “terrorist” motive.
The Jerusalem Post was able to locate the channel said to be affiliated with the group. In one video, Rajabzadeh appears to be unconscious, with someone spitting on him. Text overlaid on the video warned that the group had the names and addresses of Basij members and informants.
An earlier video showed a man allegedly identified as Rajabzadeh being carved with a knife. The caption read: “Hamid Reza Rajabzadeh is a Basij and a suppressor who both raped and killed our people in January.”
“Basij bastard, that’s all you guys are; soon I will post more videos from the Ashtara Zero Day group who are monitoring many people in different cities.
“A special gift was deposited to these friends via digital currency and Bitcoin to fight better and stronger.”
Earlier videos show a man tied up and blindfolded, as well as several buildings and sites affiliated with the regime being set alight.
Four suspects arrested over killing
Four people have been arrested in connection with the killing, with one reportedly confessing to carrying out the act after being paid by a foreign “terrorist” group.
In response to the murder, semi-official outlets such as Tabnak have demanded that the judiciary speed up the prosecution of those who demonstrated in January, claiming that doing so would prevent those opposed to the regime from having “the opportunity to rebuild, establish contacts, and launch new operations.”