Abdol Fazl Ghadiani: Khamenei is Responsible for the Murder of Armita Garavand

Abdol Fazl Ghadiani, a political activist critical of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, stated in a note that "the government murder of Armita Garavand has reached its conclusion," asserting that this murder "was carried out by a morality police officer of Ali Khamenei, the autocratic power-hungry leader of Iran, in the metro." In this note published on the Telegram channel "Kalameh," close to Mir Hossein Mousavi, he wrote that the repressive agents of the Islamic Republic attempted a "desperate effort" to create a "fake narrative" suggesting that Armita's coma in the metro was a normal and natural occurrence. However, Ghadiani emphasized that "the matter was more disgraceful than these deceptions could divert the people's minds from the truth." This critical political activist added that the "martyrdom" of Armita Garavand added another dark page to the "darker than black" record of Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic. He further stated that these murders and crimes "cannot save him and his regime from falling; rather, they bring them closer to their downfall." Armita Garavand, a 16-year-old girl, was attacked by a "morality police" officer on the morning of October 1, 2023, while heading to school at the "Shahada Square" metro station in Tehran for not wearing a hijab, causing her to hit her head against the train door and fall into a coma. The announcement of her death sparked numerous domestic and international reactions. Ghadiani also stated that "all those involved in this murder," from the morality police to their leaders and commanders, are responsible and must be held accountable, asserting that the "main culprit and responsible" is Ali Khamenei, who must answer for "all the murders, injustices, and suppressions that occur because his illegitimate, illegal, and usurping regime continues for a few more days, which, sooner or later, the people will overthrow with their uprising." Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor, stated on November 7 through two consecutive posts on the social media platform "X" that the death of Armita Garavand makes the U.S. more determined to hold the Islamic Republic accountable. He wrote: "I was deeply saddened to learn that Armita Garavand died after being beaten by the morality police for public indecency. The violence supported by the Iranian government against its people is horrific and underscores the regime's fragility."