A top Iranian police commander at the center of repressing women's rights protests which shook the country in 2022 has described the force he commanded as unfairly maligned in stopping what he called a foreign plot.
"The Supreme Leader emphasized that even if [the death of Mahsa Amini] had not occurred, enemies would have found another excuse for unrest, and FARAJA was recognized as ‘the oppressed yet powerful’ in these events," General Hossein Ashtari told state-controlled Tasnim media outlet, referring to the police force he once commanded.
Ashtari's remarks refer to comments by Iran's Supreme Leader, the country's top decision-maker, the same year and appeared aimed at associating widely-criticized police actions with his will.
"A distressing incident had occurred, but FARAJA was not at fault in this matter, and the enemy exploited the incident for its own purposes," he added again citing Khamenei.
FARAJA, an acronym for the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran, oversees domestic security and border control in close coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Criticized by rights groups for its aggressive tactics, FARAJA helped suppress 2022 protests following the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, after she had been detained by morality police over her Islamic head covering.
Its use of live ammunition, tear gas, and mass arrests against demonstrators was met with Western governments and international sanctions.
Ashtari himself faces sanctions from the United States, EU, UK and Canada for his role in the crackdown.
Speaking to the IRGC-aligned outlet, Ashtari said FARAJA’s response to the protests was essential to stabilize the nation and weather external threats.
"Our goal was to prevent social protests from escalating into security crises, and even if they did, to return them to the social realm through wisdom and sound management," Ashtari said.
Human rights organizations have documented FARAJA’s involvement in beatings, arbitrary detentions, and crackdowns on civilians, including women and young people, reinforcing its image among many Iranians as a tool for stifling dissent.
The 2022 demonstrations quickly grew, demanding the overthrow of the ruling clerical state and were held under the slogan of "Woman, Life, Freedom."
When security forces including FARAJA cracked down on the protests, it lead to at least 500 deaths and over 20,000 arrests, putting a global spotlight and criticism on the Iranian state’s treatment of dissidents.
"FARAJA acted with prudence and showed its strength to those seeking to create chaos, while supporting ordinary citizens in their daily lives," Ashtari told Tasnim.
As Tehran faces continued fallout and ongoing civil resistance from its populace, it now also awaits Israel’s likely counterattack to its missile barrage on the Jewish state last week.
Tehran sees the attack as a show of force after the targeted killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and a senior IRGC commander in Lebanon by Israeli forces last month.
