Ali Akbar Saidi Sirjani

Ali Akbar Saidi Sirjani was one of Iran's most distinguished writers, poets, and cultural commentators. Arrested on 14 March 1994 by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence, he was announced dead eight months later of an alleged 'heart attack.' The true cause of death, later revealed by journalist Emadeddin Baghi, was a potassium suppository administered in custody. Saidi Sirjani had been a member of the Iranian Writers' Association and was an outspoken critic of censorship. His killing was one of the earlier victims of the chain murders campaign carried out by rogue units within MOIS.