Masih Alinejad vs. I.R. of Iran, Ali Khamenei, Judiciary, and IRGC

Masih Alinejad Filed an Action Against Government of Iran, Supreme Leader, Iran Judiciary, and IRGC for Torture and Hostage Taking of her bother and mother, in Federal Court Under FSIA.

Press Release

December 4, 2019

Washington, DC, August 15, 2019 -- Masih Alinejad, journalist, author and founder of My Stealthy Freedom campaign against compulsory hijab filed a complaint against the Government of Islamic Republic, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) and the Judiciary for kidnapping and hostage taking of her brother Alireza Alinejad and psychological torture against her family. Alireza Alinejad, a graphic artist, was arrested, put in handcuffs and blindfolds and removed to the notorious Evin prison in Tehran on Sept. 23 in front of his two small children. His family have only had visited him twice in that period and he’s been denied legal representation. No family member has been allowed to see Alireza since Nov. 7.

“Alireza’s only crime is that he is my brother,” said Masih Alinejad, the New York-based campaigner and women’s rights activists. “Islamic Republic has a long record of kidnapping dual national citizens for financial or political gain but has now kidnapped my brother to silence me. I’m resorting to legal action to show them that I will not be silenced.”

The Islamic Republic security forces had pressed other members of Alinejad family, especially the mother Zarrin Badpa to denounce her youngest daughter Masih Alinejad. After the detention of Alireza Alinejad, Ms. Badpa was interrogated for hours in order to produce false confessions against her children.

This case is brought under terrorism exception of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia through Plaintiffs attorney, Mr. Ali Herischi of Herischi & Associates, LLC. Mr. Herischi is hopeful that "this case will bring attention to the systematic human rights abuses and domestic terrorism by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps."