The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports- Based on obtained evidence, documents and testimonials, HRANA alleges that there are at least two new cases of multiple instances of sexual harassment and assault against Salman Khodadadi, a presently serving Member of Iran’s Parliament and Chair of the Parliament’s Social Committee. Khodadadi has previously faced similar accusations, and was once arrested on charges of raping his secretary and an office visitor. He served as an MP and member of the Parliament’s National Security Committee and Health Committee from 1996 to 2012, but was banned from running for Parliament in 2012 by Iran’s Ministry of Interior. Khodadadi returned to Parliament in 2016 after the ban was overturned by The Guardian Council. During his ban, he was made an adviser to Iran’s Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, in 2014.
A woman, 28, identified as “ZN”, has spoken out to HRANA, accusing Khodadadi of sexually assaulting and harassing her for a period of four years, exploiting his position of power. She reports that she first encountered Khodadadi through her father, a former colleague of Khodadadi in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). After her father’s death, and in light of the family’s dire financial circumstances due to her mother’s illness, ZN sought employment.
“I visited the governor’s office for assistance one day, and was told that Khodadadi was coming to listen to public grievances. I presented him my letter and he advised me to reach out to him, promising he could help me secure a position at the Audit Court.
ZN followed up on Khodadadi’s promise and travelled to Tehran on his invitation. The first visit, which she made with her mother, yielded no results. Khodadadi later convinced ZN to return to Tehran alone. She alleges that after reaching Tehran, she managed to meet Khodadadi in his office after much difficulty.
“Khodadadi locked the door of his office and raped me. He warned me against telling anyone about it. It was a traumatic day and I return home crushed and contemplating suicide. He later got me to visit his residential home in Tabriz under various pretexts and raped me once again there.”
“Khodadadi continued to intimidate and manipulate me until I told him I no longer desired the job and threatened to report him. He dismissed my threats, however, and even began to harass and threaten me by sending messages warning of harm if I didn’t meet him. I kept refusing, and moved residences frequently out of fear for my safety.
ZN believes that there are other victims of Khodadadi’s sexual harassment. She learned from a friend, who also alleged being raped by Khodadadi under the promise of employment, about other victims who were too scared for their lives to come forward.
“I decided to lodge a complaint after he didn’t stop his harassment. However, he threatened to kill me if I spoke out. In desperation, I travelled to Tehran to approach the committee in charge of overseeing MPs, but they insisted that I needed evidence. I informed them that I had voice recordings and text messages that contained his threats.”
According to ZN, Khodadadi contacted her multiple times after she filed the complaint, threatening harm if she didn’t withdraw it.
“I persisted in my decision to push through with my complaint, citing it as my right. He tried to coax me into withdrawing my complaint by promising a job and to amend things. I declined…Since filing my complaint in April 2018, I have been contacting the Parliament’s security department several times, only to be told each time that they’re still investigating.”
HRANA is in possession of a copy of the documents relating to ZN’s case, including Khodadadi’s threatening messages. The agency is considering making the documents public, but is prioritizing the safety of the victim and the status of the legal proceedings first.
Background of Salman Khodadadi:
Born in 1962, Salman Khodadadi was recruited into the Islamic Republic’s security apparatus at a young age. He worked for the East Azerbaijan Intelligence office during the 1980s’ purge of political dissidents, had an unsuccessful campaign for Parliament in the early 1990s, but was then appointed as Ardabil’s Intelligence Bureau Director and later served as the IRGC commander in Malekan.
He was a member of the Parliament’s Health Committee in the sixth Parliament (2004-2000) despite having no relevant background. His third term in Parliament ended with being summoned to court on charges of moral corruption and illicit relationships, after two women filed complaints against him. He was released on bail. As he had been elected for a fourth term and was already sworn in as a Parliament Deputy, his case was closed.
Following objections from two female MPs regarding Khodadadi’s credentials, the case was referred to the Parliament for additional investigation. Despite protests from some of Malekan’s population outside the Parliament building, demanding Khodadadi’s removal, Parliament members voted in favor of his credentials, allowing him to serve his term. Khodadadi declined to comment on his case, citing the ongoing investigation and his unwillingness to provide fodder to enemies and the foreign media.
Khodadadi was prohibited from contesting in the succeeding parliamentary elections. His prior membership in the National Security Committee in the 1990s, however, had helped him establish close relations with Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s present President, and other current members of Rouhani’s cabinet. Khodadadi supported Rouhani in the 2013 Presidential election and was a potential candidate for the Governor of Bushehr position (in an Iranian southern province). However, Rouhani subsequently opted to make Khodadadi an advisor to Javad Zarif.
In the most recent parliamentary elections, Khodadadi was once more prohibited from contesting by the Supervisory Council (run by the Executive Branch). He was, however, elected again following lobbying efforts by the Guardian Council. Khodadadi also had the backing of the “Omid List”, an array of candidates who supported Rouhani. Once in Parliament, Khodadadi assumed the Chair of the Parliament’s Social Committee.
Khodadadi began his Parliamentary service while he was pursuing Management Studies. Throughout his multiple terms, he also completed a Master’s degree in Political Science and a PhD in International Relations.