Activists fear missing Iranian critic in Canada was killed by Tehran

Canadian police say a missing Iranian activist was most likely the victim of murder, raising concerns that his disappearance has the hallmarks of a transnational repression campaign. Masood Masjoody, a mathematician critical of Iran’s theocratic regime and the exiled family of the former shah, went missing in early February in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Police are still searching for Masjoody’s body, and Sgt Freda Fong of the RCMP’s integrated homicide investigations team said all of the evidence investigators have collected indicates foul play. "We are treating this as a homicide," she said. Sgt Fong said most of the tips provided to police have come from the Iranian community, but warned that "any speculation over whether Iran was involved would be premature and compromise the integrity of the investigation." Activists who documented Iran’s recent crackdown fear the disappearance reflects a policy of silencing diaspora critics.

Canada, Burnaby, British Columbia

masood masjoody, iranian activist, missing person, burnaby, british columbia, rcmp, homicide, transnational repression, diaspora critics, exiled shah