Ali Fallahian

Ali Fallahian ( , born 1949) is an Iranian cleric, judge and politician. He was Iran's second Minister of Intelligence and Security, holding office from 1989 to 1997, during the presidency of Ali Akbar Rafsanjani.

Early life Fallahian was born in Najafabad, Iran, in 1949. A loyal follower of Ayatollah Khomeini, he was under surveillance by the SAVAK and then imprisoned by the Shah for spreading antigovernment propaganda.

Career After the victory of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Fallahian was appointed a judge in Islamic Revolutionary Courts, and condemned to death by hanging many former officials of the Shah's regime.

Presidential candidacy Fallahian was a candidate in the 2001 presidential election, which was won by incumbent reformist Mohammad Khatami. Fallahian came in sixth place, receiving 0.2 percent of the vote; some observers have hypothesized that Fallahian only entered the election in an effort to clear his name, which has been associated with murder and political suppression. Running with the campaign slogan of "Advanced Islamic Country", he said that his top priority would be the economy, focusing on fighting inflation and lowering the unemployment rate. He specified that he planned on continuing the subsidy reform plan.

Regarding diplomatic relations with the United States, he implied that he would seek improved ties, even suggesting to put an end to the uranium enrichment program, saying "enough of nuclear", as Iran had "already mastered its knowledge". He added that he envisioned chances for cooperation between the two countries, especially in creating stability in Afghanistan, Iraq, Tunisia, and Egypt. The Interpol issued a red notice for him and other suspects for their alleged roles in the attack in March 2007. The arrest warrant is based on the allegation that senior Iranian officials planned the attack in an August 1993 meeting, including Khamanei, the Supreme Leader, Mohammad Hejazi, the then Khamanei's intelligence and security advisor, Rafsanjani, then president, Fallahian, then intelligence minister, and Ali Akbar Velayati, then foreign minister.

In addition, he was the subject of an international arrest warrant issued in 1997 in connection with the murder of three Kurdish-Iranian opposition leaders in the Mykonos restaurant assassinations in Berlin. Fallahian is under an international warrant issued in 1996 by a German court because of his role in the assassinations. Sadeq Sharafkandi from Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran and three of his colleagues were assassinated September 1992 in Berlin by Iranian-Lebanese agents. Fallahian was also the most prominent member of a group of five Iranians and Lebanese for whom international arrest warrants issued in March 2007.

He was also named by investigative reporter Akbar Ganji as the "master key" of the 1998 "Chain Murders" of four dissident Iranian intellectuals. In December 2000, appearing before an Islamic Revolutionary Court, investigative reporter Akbar Ganji "ending months of guessing and expectations from both the authorities and the public" when he announced the "Master Key" to the chain murders of four dissident Iranian intellectuals was Fallahian.

Fallahian is also charged by a Swiss court with masterminding the assassination of Kazem Rajavi, a brother of Mujahedin-e Khalq leader Massoud Rajavi, near Geneva in broad daylight by several agents on 24 April 1990. An international arrest warrant has been issued against him and as a result, he is unable to leave the country.