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The Murder Of Fereydoun Farrokhzad: Persons Of Interest

A new investigation by RFE/RL and its Persian-language service, Radio Farda, sheds new light on the unsolved murder of Iranian dissident artist Fereydoun Farrokhzad, who was brutally stabbed to death in Germany in 1992.

Together with the investigation, RFE/RL is also publishing snapshot profiles of key players in the story, including several Iranian officials and intelligence officers who reportedly threatened Farrokhzad prior to his killing and were alleged to have been directly involved in the murder plot.

A review of decades-old French and German legal and intelligence records by RFE/RL has linked several of these individuals to Iranians implicated in attacks on other dissidents in Europe.

But because German authorities have declined to reveal any details about the investigation into Farrokhzad’s murder, citing the ongoing nature of the probe, it remains unclear to what extent they have explored the possible involvement of these figures in the dissident’s killing.

Iranian intelligence officer who served at Tehran’s embassy in Bonn; German authorities said he “likely had a leading role” in the 1992 killing of Iranian-Kurdish opposition leaders in Berlin. Farrokhzad’s associates say the artist met with Gholami to discuss returning to Iran; appears to be the same man who allegedly “threatened to kill [Farrokhzad] if he would not collaborate with the regime.” Gholami also met with Bonn-based Iranian exile Ahmad Jayhooni, who was later convicted in Paris of complicity in the 1996 murder of Iranian opposition figure Reza Mazluman.
1 Iranian intelligence officer who served at Tehran’s embassy in Bonn; German authorities said he “likely had a leading role” in the 1992 killing of Iranian-Kurdish opposition leaders in Berlin. Farrokhzad’s associates say the artist met with Gholami to discuss returning to Iran; appears to be the same man who allegedly “threatened to kill [Farrokhzad] if he would not collaborate with the regime.” Gholami also met with Bonn-based Iranian exile Ahmad Jayhooni, who was later convicted in Paris of complicity in the 1996 murder of Iranian opposition figure Reza Mazluman.
The first secretary at the Iranian Embassy in Bonn at the time of Farrokhzad’s murder; reportedly “threatened to kill Farrokhzad if he would not collaborate with the regime.” Hossein Musavian, Iran's ambassador to Germany at time of Farrokhzad’s killing, claimed to Radio Farda that the dissident entertainer “cried before” Rahmani Movahed “begging for help to return to see his mother.” Since 2018, Rahmani Movahed has served as the Iranian ambassador to Japan. 
2 The first secretary at the Iranian Embassy in Bonn at the time of Farrokhzad’s murder; reportedly “threatened to kill Farrokhzad if he would not collaborate with the regime.” Hossein Musavian, Iran's ambassador to Germany at time of Farrokhzad’s killing, claimed to Radio Farda that the dissident entertainer “cried before” Rahmani Movahed “begging for help to return to see his mother.” Since 2018, Rahmani Movahed has served as the Iranian ambassador to Japan. 
Iranian ambassador to Germany from 1990-97, a period that spanned both Farrokhzad’s killing in Bonn and the assassination of Kurdish-Iranian opposition leaders at Berlin’s Mykonos restaurant six weeks later; confirmed Farrokhzad was in touch with embassy but said he did not meet him personally; claimed to Radio Farda that Tehran had no reason to kill Farrokhzad and was trying to facilitate the dissident singer’s return to Iran at the time of the crime; former nuclear negotiator for the Iranian government; moved to the United States in 2009, acting as an unofficial government representative while discussing the nuclear issue and U.S.-Iranian ties; currently Middle East security and nuclear-policy specialist at Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security.
3 Iranian ambassador to Germany from 1990-97, a period that spanned both Farrokhzad’s killing in Bonn and the assassination of Kurdish-Iranian opposition leaders at Berlin’s Mykonos restaurant six weeks later; confirmed Farrokhzad was in touch with embassy but said he did not meet him personally; claimed to Radio Farda that Tehran had no reason to kill Farrokhzad and was trying to facilitate the dissident singer’s return to Iran at the time of the crime; former nuclear negotiator for the Iranian government; moved to the United States in 2009, acting as an unofficial government representative while discussing the nuclear issue and U.S.-Iranian ties; currently Middle East security and nuclear-policy specialist at Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security.
Allegedly an employee of the Iranian Embassy in Bonn around the time of Farrokhzad’s murder; Farrokhzad reported to the opposition Flag Of Freedom group that Ghodsi had “warned him about his anti-regime activities,” according to a 1993 report by the UN Commission on Human Rights; Iran’s ambassador to Germany at the time, Seyed Hossein Musavian, told Radio Farda that Ghodsi was a local hire who worked “for a brief period” at the embassy and had no links to security services; alleged by Iranian ex-spy Abolghassem Mesbahi to be a maternal uncle of Mr. X, the man Mesbahi claims killed Farrokhzad, though Radio Farda could not corroborate this; Mesbahi claimed Ghodsi flew with Mr. X from Frankfurt to Iran the day after Farrokhzad’s murder. 
4 Allegedly an employee of the Iranian Embassy in Bonn around the time of Farrokhzad’s murder; Farrokhzad reported to the opposition Flag Of Freedom group that Ghodsi had “warned him about his anti-regime activities,” according to a 1993 report by the UN Commission on Human Rights; Iran’s ambassador to Germany at the time, Seyed Hossein Musavian, told Radio Farda that Ghodsi was a local hire who worked “for a brief period” at the embassy and had no links to security services; alleged by Iranian ex-spy Abolghassem Mesbahi to be a maternal uncle of Mr. X, the man Mesbahi claims killed Farrokhzad, though Radio Farda could not corroborate this; Mesbahi claimed Ghodsi flew with Mr. X from Frankfurt to Iran the day after Farrokhzad’s murder. 
Iranian intelligence officer alleged by Iranian ex-spy Abolghassem Mesbahi to have helped organize Farrokhzad’s murder; stationed at Tehran’s embassy in Bonn beginning in November 1992; unclear if he was in Germany at the time of the murder; replaced Morteza Gholami, who allegedly threatened Farrokhzad, as point man for monitoring Iranian opposition in Germany; handler for Bonn-based Iranian exile Ahmad Jayhooni, who was later convicted in Paris of complicity in the 1996 murder of Iranian opposition figure Reza Mazluman; left Germany in 1995 amid allegations of intelligence activities. 
5 Iranian intelligence officer alleged by Iranian ex-spy Abolghassem Mesbahi to have helped organize Farrokhzad’s murder; stationed at Tehran’s embassy in Bonn beginning in November 1992; unclear if he was in Germany at the time of the murder; replaced Morteza Gholami, who allegedly threatened Farrokhzad, as point man for monitoring Iranian opposition in Germany; handler for Bonn-based Iranian exile Ahmad Jayhooni, who was later convicted in Paris of complicity in the 1996 murder of Iranian opposition figure Reza Mazluman; left Germany in 1995 amid allegations of intelligence activities. 
An associate of Farrokhzad’s from Los Angeles; Iranian ex-spy Abolghassem Mesbahi claimed that Mr. X stabbed the dissident artist to death to demonstrate loyalty to Tehran and recover his assets seized after the 1979 Islamic Revolution; according to Mesbahi, Mr. X. flew to Iran from Frankfurt the day after the murder using a passport provided by Iranian intelligence; gave conflicting details in U.S. asylum application, including that he fled Iran promising to act as a “spy” but did not honor that pledge; told U.S. immigration officials that “during 1989 and 1997” he “heard that the [Iranian] regime had ended and I decided to go back” but later decided to apply for asylum in the United States; granted U.S. asylum in 2004; died in 2011. 
6 An associate of Farrokhzad’s from Los Angeles; Iranian ex-spy Abolghassem Mesbahi claimed that Mr. X stabbed the dissident artist to death to demonstrate loyalty to Tehran and recover his assets seized after the 1979 Islamic Revolution; according to Mesbahi, Mr. X. flew to Iran from Frankfurt the day after the murder using a passport provided by Iranian intelligence; gave conflicting details in U.S. asylum application, including that he fled Iran promising to act as a “spy” but did not honor that pledge; told U.S. immigration officials that “during 1989 and 1997” he “heard that the [Iranian] regime had ended and I decided to go back” but later decided to apply for asylum in the United States; granted U.S. asylum in 2004; died in 2011. 
Iranian intelligence officer alleged by Iranian ex-spy Abolghassem Mesbahi to have furnished a passport for Farrokhzad’s killer to fly from Frankfurt to Iran the day after the murder; the late exiled Iranian journalist Esmail Purvali, citing no sources, claimed Saberi was directly involved in Farrokhzad’s murder; operated in France under the guise of a security official for state-owned Iran Air and was involved in “the assassination of dissidents in exile,” according to French intelligence; oversaw Motjaba Mashhady, an Iranian exile later convicted of complicity in the October 1990 murder of exiled Iranian opposition leader Cyrus Elahi in Paris, according to French intelligence; reportedly barred entry into Britain, which knew Saberi “for his terrorist activities.” 
7 Iranian intelligence officer alleged by Iranian ex-spy Abolghassem Mesbahi to have furnished a passport for Farrokhzad’s killer to fly from Frankfurt to Iran the day after the murder; the late exiled Iranian journalist Esmail Purvali, citing no sources, claimed Saberi was directly involved in Farrokhzad’s murder; operated in France under the guise of a security official for state-owned Iran Air and was involved in “the assassination of dissidents in exile,” according to French intelligence; oversaw Motjaba Mashhady, an Iranian exile later convicted of complicity in the October 1990 murder of exiled Iranian opposition leader Cyrus Elahi in Paris, according to French intelligence; reportedly barred entry into Britain, which knew Saberi “for his terrorist activities.” 
Alleged by Iranian ex-spy Abolghassem Mesbahi to have organized Farrokhzad’s murder and trained the killer; arrested by Iranian authorities as a member of a purportedly “rogue” group of agents involved in killing dissidents, but was later released; the late exiled Iranian journalist Esmail Purvali, citing no sources, claimed Khoshkushk helped organize Farrokhzad’s assassination; Canadian intelligence said Khoshkushk coordinated attacks on Iranian dissidents abroad, according to Canadian court records that cited his meetings in Europe with Iranian intelligence officer Mansur Ahani, who was deported from Canada in 2002. Khoshkushk denied involvement in Farrokhzad’s murder. 
8 Alleged by Iranian ex-spy Abolghassem Mesbahi to have organized Farrokhzad’s murder and trained the killer; arrested by Iranian authorities as a member of a purportedly “rogue” group of agents involved in killing dissidents, but was later released; the late exiled Iranian journalist Esmail Purvali, citing no sources, claimed Khoshkushk helped organize Farrokhzad’s assassination; Canadian intelligence said Khoshkushk coordinated attacks on Iranian dissidents abroad, according to Canadian court records that cited his meetings in Europe with Iranian intelligence officer Mansur Ahani, who was deported from Canada in 2002. Khoshkushk denied involvement in Farrokhzad’s murder. 
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