SPND gases protestors
The first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini and the resulting wave of protests across Iran has us reflecting on the courage of those who dare to take to the streets. While we’re usually preoccupied with Iran’s nuclear program and other research activities that edge close to the category of weapons of mass destruction, we should remember that the Iranian entities involved in WMD-related work are also responsible for direct acts of repression against legitimate protesters. SPND, our main bête-noire, is of course no exception. We’ve written extensively about SPND’s Shahid Meisami Group ( گروه شهید میثمی ), and its head, Mehran Babri ( مهران ببری , National ID: 0050111078). Shahid Meisami and Babri have long been on our radar because of their work developing deadly chemical warfare agents, including V-series nerve agents and Novichok. Thankfully, unlike Putin’s Russia, Iran hasn’t yet felt the need to apply Novichok or nerve agents to any dissidents . The Iranian aut