What does Gasht-e Ershad mean?

Gasht-e Ershad is Persian for 'Guidance Patrol' — Iran's morality police, a FARAJA unit that enforces compulsory hijab. See /morality-police.html.

What does moharebeh mean?

Moharebeh means 'waging war against God' — a capital offence under Article 279 of Iran's Penal Code, routinely applied to protesters.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — Iran's parallel military force, subordinate directly to the Supreme Leader rather than the elected government.

A paramilitary volunteer militia subordinate to the IRGC, estimated at 600,000 active members. Used to enforce dress codes and crush street protests.

What does Jin, Jiyan, Azadî mean?

Kurdish for 'Woman, Life, Freedom' — the original form of the slogan chanted at Mahsa Amini's funeral in Saqqez in September 2022.

Glossary of repression in Iran — IRGC, Basij, Gasht-e Ershad, moharebeh, more

About this glossary

Plain-language definitions of the people, institutions, laws and events recurring across this site. Each term links to its dedicated page where one exists. Machine-readable copy: /data/glossary.json.

Basij: Paramilitary volunteer militia subordinate to the IRGC. Mobilised to enforce dress codes and crush street protests; estimated 600,000 active members.
Bonyad: Para-statal religious foundation outside government oversight. Bonyads control an estimated 20–40% of Iran's economy and answer directly to the Supreme Leader.
Chastity & Hijab Bill: 2023–24 Iranian law escalating penalties for hijab non-compliance to fines up to US$8,500, prison up to 10 years, and travel bans. Enacted December 2024.
Crimson Winter: Name given to the 2025–2026 nationwide Iran uprising. 42,000+ killed and 100,000+ detained across 200+ cities by late February 2026.
Death Commission: 1988 panel of three judges that ordered the summary execution of thousands of political prisoners. Members included Ebrahim Raisi, later President of Iran (2021–24).
Etela'at: Ministry of Intelligence and Security (VAJA). Civilian intelligence service, distinct from the IRGC Intelligence Organisation.
Evin Prison: Tehran prison built in 1972; principal facility for political prisoners. Ward 209 (Etela'at) and Ward 2A (IRGC) are notorious for torture.
FARAJA: The unified Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (formerly NAJA). Operates the Guidance Patrol.
Gasht-e Ershad: The Guidance Patrol or 'morality police'. See dedicated page: /morality-police.html.
Ghezel Hesar: High-security prison in Karaj used for executions of political and drug-related prisoners.
Guardian Council: 12-member body (6 clerics, 6 jurists) that vets all legislation and election candidates. Effectively a constitutional veto on reform.
HRANA: Human Rights Activists News Agency — independent Iranian human-rights monitor compiling protest casualty data.
Hengaw: Independent Kurdish human-rights organisation documenting repression in Iran's Kurdish-majority provinces.
IHR: Iran Human Rights — Oslo-based NGO directed by Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, documenting executions and protest deaths.
IHRDC: Iran Human Rights Documentation Center — New Haven-based archive of primary-source evidence on Iranian state crimes.
IRGC: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — parallel military subordinate to the Supreme Leader; central to repression of protests since 1979.
Jin, Jiyan, Azadî: Kurdish for 'Woman, Life, Freedom'. The original form of the slogan chanted at Mahsa Amini's funeral in Saqqez.
Komiteh: Revolutionary Committees (1979–91) — armed neighbourhood enforcers that pre-dated the unified police; absorbed into NAJA in 1991.
MEK / NCRI: Mojahedin-e Khalq / National Council of Resistance of Iran — exile opposition group. iranholocaust.org has no affiliation.
Moharebeh: 'Waging war against God' — capital offence under Article 279 of Iran's Penal Code, routinely used against protesters.
Noor Plan: FARAJA's April 2024 nationwide hijab-enforcement campaign. Uses street patrols and CCTV facial recognition.
OHCHR: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Operates the Special Rapporteur on Iran.
Pasdaran: Persian for 'Guards' — common shorthand for the IRGC.
Qassem Soleimani: IRGC Quds Force commander killed by a US drone strike on 3 January 2020.
Quds Force: IRGC division responsible for extraterritorial operations, including support for Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.
Saqqez: Kurdish-majority city in Iran's Kordestan province; birthplace and burial place of Mahsa (Jina) Amini.
Sepah: Persian for 'Corps' — informal shorthand for the IRGC (Sepah-e Pasdaran).
Sistan and Baluchestan: South-eastern province of Iran, home to the Baloch Sunni minority. Site of Bloody Friday (30 September 2022).
Speakers' Assembly: The Iranian parliament (Majles). 290 seats; vetted by the Guardian Council.
Supreme Leader: Highest political and religious authority of the Islamic Republic. Ayatollah Khamenei since 1989; Khomeini 1979–89.
Two Nights: Nights of 8 and 9 January 2026, when Iranian security forces opened fire on protesters in multiple cities. Rasht recorded the largest single-night toll.
Vali-ye Faqih: Doctrine of 'Guardianship of the Jurist' that places ultimate authority in the Supreme Leader; theological basis of the Islamic Republic.
Vozara: Tehran detention centre run by the Guidance Patrol where Mahsa Amini collapsed in custody on 13 September 2022.
Woman, Life, Freedom: Slogan (Persian: Zan, Zendegi, Azadi; Kurdish: Jin, Jiyan, Azadî) of the 2022 uprising triggered by Mahsa Amini's death.

Glossary.

About this glossary