Exclusive | Hani Kordeh, 'Tehran's Gangster' or Informant of the Islamic Republic's Intelligence Agencies

Tehran police announced on Sunday, July 2, that seven individuals were arrested during a confrontation with thugs attacking spectators at a training session for the Esteghlal football team. According to the state news agency IRNA, Saeed Rasti, the operations deputy of Tehran's police intelligence organization, stated, 'The release of a clip depicting the beating of several fans and spectators at the Esteghlal football team's training camp, along with the criminal and malicious actions of several individuals led by one of Tehran's notorious thugs, has outraged public opinion.' This incident occurred on Thursday, June 29, and the video went viral on social media, garnering widespread attention. In the released images, Hani Kordeh, a well-known thug in Tehran, is seen attacking spectators present at the Esteghlal training session who were protesting against the club's management. Saeed Rasti noted that 'the public's demand from the police was to deal with these individuals,' adding, 'These individuals are in police custody with judicial coordination, investigations are ongoing, and they will be transferred to the case investigator on Tuesday.' This official emphasized the 'prohibition of these individuals from public places,' stating that the police, in cooperation with the judiciary, intend not only to prevent thugs from entering cultural and sports venues but also to stop them from entering any location where people gather. Who is Hani Kordeh? Hani Kordeh, born in the 1980s in Hamedan, is one of the most notorious 'thugs currently in Iran.' He has been attacked multiple times and survived, and has been arrested and imprisoned several times, currently residing in Tehran. The website 'Jameh 24' reported on September 29, 2022, that 'Hani Kordeh, known for his history of violence and several other offenses, was transferred to the notorious Kahrizak detention center, and given his extensive criminal record, everyone unanimously stated that he would soon be executed.' However, according to Jameh 24, while 'everything was prepared for the issuance of a death sentence, he was sentenced to several years in prison.' The Borna news agency reported on December 29, 2019, that 'this gangster residing in Tehran was first arrested at the age of 14 for a fight with a soldier over a ticket purchase. This thug behavior was repeated multiple times, and he ultimately spent 16 years of his life in prison.' According to this report, Hani Kordeh, who lives and works in Tehran, has gathered many followers around him due to his 'thug behavior and numerous crimes.' A resident of the Bisim area in Tehran, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Persian section of Voice of America, 'Women, children, and young boys in the neighborhood have no peace from him. There is nothing anyone can do because he is protected by the law.' He mentioned that Hani Kordeh 'always carries a weapon and moves around with his followers.' Hani Kordeh went to Syria as a 'defender of the shrine' during the Syrian civil war and also published photos of himself. The last time Hani Kordeh was reported to have been arrested was on June 8, 2022, when he was arrested along with four other thugs in the eastern Tehran neighborhood of Nabard. Jalil Moqoufeh, the head of Tehran's preventive police, stated that 'the suspects and their case were referred to the judiciary.' However, as in the past, he was released and posted on his Instagram page, the latest of which was less than a month ago. Hani Kordeh has even traveled freely outside Iran, and based on videos he published on his Instagram page, he has traveled to Pattaya in Thailand and Northern Cyprus. The Jameh 24 website noted in its report on September 29 last year that Hani Kordeh is one of 'the most mysterious thugs in Tehran, who has connections with former national team coaches and political figures, and no one knows how he connects with these various segments of society.' For example, a video released in June 2018 showed Hani Kordeh, Amin Farzaneh, and several of their associates as special guests at Hassan Rouhani's iftar ceremony. Hani Kordeh's name first became prominent in the 2000s during a crackdown on thugs. He, known as one of the 'notorious thugs of the Bisim neighborhood,' managed to escape arrest several times during the so-called 'thug collection plan,' but ultimately was arrested when a police officer accidentally spotted him on the street. According to Jameh 24, the incident that made 'Hani Kordeh's name more widely known, even among those who did not know him, was his conflicts with Vahid Moradi and the murder of him.' Vahid Moradi was given the nickname 'the gangster of the capital or the eagle of Iran' and was pursued by the police due to his online bravado. During a chase operation, when he attempted to escape from the police, he was shot and injured by seven police bullets and then arrested and imprisoned. A night after his release, while drunk, he murdered his close friend, Hossein, and when he attempted to leave Iran, he was arrested near the border and imprisoned for the fifteenth time. According to Faraz Daily, Vahid Moradi's case was in the prosecutor's office awaiting a retribution sentence, but before the sentence was issued, in 2018, he was killed in a fight in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj by five other inmates with knives. According to this report, Vahid Moradi's death was attributed to another murder suspect named Saeed Saleh, who claimed he was not his killer. Afterward, it was reported that Vahid Moradi was killed in prison on Hani Kordeh's orders, but this was not proven, especially since, according to Borna news agency, he repeatedly stated in various videos that he was saddened by Vahid Moradi's death. Nevertheless, several of Vahid Moradi's supporters attacked Hani Kordeh with knives, stabbing him 20 times, but he survived. Hani Kordeh, from 'Defender of the Shrine' to 'Informant' of the Ministry of Intelligence and the Revolutionary Guards Hani Kordeh's name is not only tied to crimes and his connections with 'athletes, politicians, and merchants.' During the Syrian civil war, he went to Syria as a 'defender of the shrine' and published photos of himself. An informed source told the Persian section of Voice of America that in 'the matter of the Syrian wars and ISIS,' Hani Kordeh was taken and 'helped the Revolutionary Guards.' He added that Hani Kordeh is involved in drug trafficking and extortion in eastern Tehran while also acting as an informant for the Ministry of Intelligence and the Revolutionary Guards. This source also noted that Hani Kordeh 'has assaulted several young boys in eastern Tehran and, by filming them, forces them to become his followers and uses them in fights or for extortion.' An informed source who wished to remain anonymous told the Persian section of Voice of America that 'the Revolutionary Guards and intelligence are fully aware of his activities, but since he helps them in various conflicts and issues, they do not interfere.' This source emphasized that Hani Kordeh is an 'informant' for the Ministry of Intelligence and the Revolutionary Guards and receives 'substantial payments' from them. He added that Hani Kordeh has been involved in 'suppressing protesters, and the reason why people in the southeast have never been able to protest is that this man and his forces control that area and do not allow anyone to move. They quickly hand them over to the police.' The use of individuals like Hani Kordeh by the Iranian security apparatus is not new. In this regard, Hossein Hamadani, the then-commander of 'the Mohammad Rasoulallah Corps of Tehran,' stated after the suppression of the 2009 protests that five thousand 'thugs and criminals' were 'identified and controlled' during the protests. Hamadani, who was killed in Syria in October 2015, also stated, 'On the day they called for protests, these individuals were controlled and were not allowed to leave their homes.' He announced that these groups were incorporated into three battalions, adding, 'These three battalions showed that if we want to train fighters, we must bring such individuals who deal with knives and swords to the front lines.' Meanwhile, a source who spoke with Voice of America mentioned that Hani Kordeh has an estate in Kordan where 'he commits assaults,' an estate reportedly given to him by the Revolutionary Guards. According to this source, some families who have become aware of this situation have filed complaints. However, the police and intelligence have not taken any action and have even told families in several cases to refrain from approaching them. Now, it remains to be seen what approach the judiciary will take regarding Hani Kordeh this time and whether his case will again be archived.