UK charity trustee belonged to sanctioned Iranian morality council

Ahmad Vaezi, a trustee of the Al-Tawheed Charitable Trust in the UK, is challenging a 12-year disqualification imposed by the Charity Commission. Vaezi also serves as the head of the Islamic Propaganda Office (IPO) and is a member of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution (SCCR) in Iran. The SCCR was sanctioned in 2023 for enforcing morality laws, following the death of Mahsa Amini.

Vaezi's appeal claims that his close ties to the Iranian regime render him unfit to serve as a charity trustee. The Charity Commission argues that associating with such a regime brings disrepute to charities and the sector as a whole. Vaezi has attended events supporting Hezbollah and Hamas, both designated as terrorist organizations by Britain.

He is accused of suppressing information about these links and misleading the Charity Commission during its inquiry. The Commission's lawyer, Adrian Francis, claims that Vaezi's 20-year association with the charity indicates he was aware of the extremist activities at Al-Tawheed's premises, including a remembrance event for Qassem Suleimani, leader of the IRGC Quds Force.

The event allegedly featured speakers praising Suleimani, making anti-Semitic chants, and hosting former IRGC officers who made defamatory statements about the Holocaust. Vaezi denies these accusations, stating that his role at the IPO is purely academic and that being a member of the SCCR is not inappropriate. The Charity Commission is investigating the charity itself over the event and has imposed a protective order to prevent third parties from using its premises.