Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was appointed on Saturday as the new police chief, nearly four months into protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini.
The Islamic Republic has been gripped by unrest since the September 16 death of Iranian Kurdish prisoner Amini, 22, after she was detained for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code for women.
Khamenei, who has the final say on major state policies and is commander-in-chief of Iran’s armed forces, appointed General Ahmad-Reza Radan to replace Hossein Ashtari, said a statement posted on the leader’s official website.
Khamenei ordered the police department to “improve its capabilities” as well as “train special forces for various security sectors”.
Radan, born in 1963, was deputy chief of police from 2008 to 2014 and later headed the Center for Strategic Studies of the police. He was replaced as deputy by Ashtari, who became commander of the force in 2015.
Radan and Ashtari began their military careers in the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The new police chief was sanctioned by the United States in 2010, and later by the European Union, for “human rights violations” in connection with protests following Iran’s contested presidential election in 2009.
In a statement announcing Radan’s appointment, Khamenei expressed his “gratitude and satisfaction” with Ashtari’s eight years of service.
Iranian authorities have described today’s nationwide protests as “riots” and say hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed and thousands arrested.