Former Commander of Tehran's IRGC: Over 830 People Were Paralyzed During the 2009 Protests

Fars News Agency reported on Saturday, February 6, quoting Hossein Hamdani, the former commander of the IRGC in Tehran Province, that over 830 people were paralyzed during the protests against the results of the 2009 presidential election. This part of Mr. Hamdani's remarks was deleted a few hours after the news was published by Fars News Agency, and a similar occurrence happened with Tasnim News Agency. However, this news was also reflected in Mashregh News and Saham News. Mr. Hamdani referred to the efforts of some individuals to, as he put it, 'forgive the leaders of the sedition,' stating that 'they are unforgivable,' and said that 'more than 830 people were paralyzed during the fire of sedition.' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, and his close associates refer to the protests against the 2009 presidential election results as 'sedition' and call Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, the two candidates who contested the election results, 'leaders of the sedition.' Mr. Hamdani did not provide further details about the alleged paralysis of these individuals or their identities. His statements come at a time when websites close to the protesters of the 2009 presidential election results have reported at least 72 deaths and severe injuries to at least 160 people during the protest marches that year. The Green Voice of Freedom website had previously reported that the 'Committee for Following Up on the Victims of the Post-Election Events,' formed by Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, received over 300 reports about the deceased during the protest marches and documented 72 reports during its activity. According to this website, the 'Committee for Following Up on the Victims of the Post-Election Events' also collected 'documented information' on more than 160 of the injured individuals from the post-election events during its activity. In contrast to these statements, some members of parliament and individuals close to the Islamic Republic have also stated that during the 2009 protests, several Basij forces and ordinary citizens were also killed and injured. Gholamali Haddad Adel, a Tehran representative in parliament, stated in December 2009 that 37 people were killed in the post-election events, of which 20 were Basij members. Ismail Ahmadi Moghadam, the police chief, also stated in March 2013 that one of his officers was paralyzed during the 2009 protests. In another part of his remarks, Mr. Hamdani said, 'Many believe that the Western scenario regarding the murder of Neda Agha Soltan and the attempt to blame it on the regime was sufficient for the downfall of Iran, which, of course, the Supreme Leader, with the people's cooperation, neutralized all aspects of this great sedition.' Neda Agha Soltan was one of the dozens who was shot dead during the protests against the 2009 presidential election results on Saturday, June 20, in the Amirabad neighborhood of Tehran. The release of a short video capturing her dying moments on a mobile phone received widespread media attention worldwide. In the days following Neda Agha Soltan's death, reports emerged that her killer was a Basij member. Iranian officials, including former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Mohammad Javad Larijani, head of the Human Rights Headquarters of the Judiciary, have previously accused MI6 (the British intelligence service) of being involved in the murder of Neda Agha Soltan.