PASDARAN DOCUMENTATION PROJECT
A Human Rights Activists (HRA) Initiative

ABOUT THE PASDARAN DOCUMENTATION PROJECT

ABOUT THE PASDARAN DOCUMENTATION PROJECT

The Pasdaran Documentation Project (PDP) maps the structure and documents the activities of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The comprehensive database is the first of its kind, offering an overview of the IRGC’s organizational structure, its chain of command, and the historical context of its units and key individuals alongside an analysis of its behavior both inside of Iran and beyond.

HRA has gathered and analyzed data from thousands of sources, including memoirs, operational manuals, historical documents, and interviews, primarily sourced from Iran. The approach charts the IRGC’s complex hierarchy dating back decades and identifies individual actors and units linked to specific incidents of concern.

Through research and legal analysis, HRA and partners have looked into twelve emblematic cases, revealing the IRGC’s involvement in a range of potential international crimes, including terrorism, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The findings serve as a critical resource for researchers, civil society, States, and legal professionals working for meaningful accountability.

The Pasdaran Documentation Project at its launch has identified the IRGC’s potential involvement in the following international crimes:

  • Rape, and other forms of sexual violence
  • Torture
  • Persecution (political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender)
  • Conscripting or enlisting children under the age of fifteen years into the national armed forces or using them to participate actively in hostilities
  • Taking hostages
  • Wilful killing / murder
  • Causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health
  • Terrorism

HRA aims for the Pasdaran Documentation Project to be a crucial public information tool for understanding the IRGC’s operations and holding it accountable for its actions. By offering a comprehensive map of the IRGC’s structure and leadership, we not only support targeted investigations into human rights abuses and international crimes but also counter Iranian state propaganda by providing transparent and factual information. Our primary objective is to inform the Iranian public and the international community about the full extent of the IRGC’s activities, promoting informed public discourse and supporting actionable investigations.

Methodology
The Pasdaran Documentation Project utilizes a progressive data accumulation approach to document the IRGC. This methodology allows us to incrementally build detailed profiles on IRGC personnel and units. As new information becomes available, researchers update profiles, continuously refining our understanding of the IRGC’s extensive network.

While our approach can result in some incomplete profiles, it allows us to cover the breadth of the IRGC’s activities, providing a broad and evolving view of its operations. The PDP offers valuable insights for advocacy, accountability, and legal action by linking key actors within the chain of command to documented incidents.

HRA remains committed to expanding our documentation and enhancing our database to provide transparency and accountability for the IRGC’s actions. Future findings will be published here, ensuring that this resource remains up-to-date and accessible for those seeking justice.

For more information, please contact us or explore our database to learn more about the structure and actions of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Note that not all findings are made public. Should you have queries regarding specific perpetrators please contact HRA directly.

About Human Rights Activists

About Human Rights Activists

Since its founding in 2005, Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) has diligently worked to highlight human rights violations within Iran, aiming to defend the rights of all Iranian citizens regardless of their religion, political views, social status, gender, or ethnicity.

As one of the oldest human rights organizations focused on Iran, HRA operates through a robust network of volunteers and reporters both inside and outside the country, successfully compiling and publishing numerous impartial reports daily. These reports have been referenced in United Nations (UN) documents, are used for designations of malign actors, thematic and country reports published by governments around the world, as well as various international and domestic media outlets, establishing HRA as a trusted source for information on human rights issues in Iran.

HRA’s efforts extend to international advocacy, where it actively participates in sessions of the UN Human Rights Council, providing crucial insights and reports that spotlight severe human rights abuses in Iran. This includes detailed accounts of violations against women, children, and other vulnerable groups, as well as the misuse of the death penalty.

To address the persistent issue of impunity for individuals involved in serious human rights violations, HRA launched the “Spreading Justice” initiative in 2020. This comprehensive database profiles serious and repeat offenders, including judges, prison officials, IRGC generals, police chiefs, and other state and non-state actors involved in human rights abuses. The database not only documents these violations but also reviews each action under international human rights law.

In addition to Spreading Justice, HRA initiated the Pasdaran Documentation Project (PDP) in 2023. This project specifically examines the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in perpetuating human rights violations, offering a detailed, impartial analysis to support researchers, governments, legal professionals, and human rights defenders

Moreover, HRA’s “Peace Mark” publication, the first specialized human rights monthly magazine in Iran, has been disseminating critical human rights news, analysis, and educational content since 2009. This publication is part of HRA’s broader educational efforts, which also include a digital library providing resources for human rights defenders. An English version of Peace Mark Magazine was launched online in 2024.

Through all of HRAs work, we continue urging immediate international action to protect vulnerable populations and ensure accountability.