Canadian police say an outspoken Iranian activist who vanished near Vancouver a month ago is probably dead, and possibly part of a wider pattern that has critics of Tehran on edge. Investigators in Burnaby, British Columbia, announced they're treating the disappearance of 45-year-old mathematician Masood Masjoody as a homicide, though they've yet to find his body or name suspects, per the Guardian. Police say all of the evidence they've so far gathered points to foul play, while stressing it's too early to publicly link the case to Iran.
Masjoody, a former sessional instructor at Simon Fraser University, had loudly challenged both Iran's government and opposition groups, and he frequently alleged infiltration of Canadian institutions by Tehran. He was fired by the school in 2020 after disputes over grading, sexual harassment accusations, and misogynistic social media posts, then launched a flurry of failed lawsuits that courts ultimately labeled abusive.
Activists say his disappearance fits a troubling pattern: Canadian intelligence has warned of Iranian interference; a watchdog has flagged Iranian financial networks in major Canadian cities; and former Justice Minister Irwin Cotler in 2024 said he'd survived an Iranian-backed assassination plot. An activist acquaintance now in the US calls Masjoody's case a stark reminder of "the consequences of speaking openly" against Iran. Investigators are asking anyone with information about his disappearance to call 1-877-551-IHIT (4448), or contact them via email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. The CBC, meanwhile, has more on Masjoody.
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