RCMP Believe Missing Iranian Activist in BC Was Murdered

The RCMP has launched a homicide investigation after an Iranian activist who has been critical of the Iranian regime went missing last month.

Masood Masjoody, a mathematician who previously worked in academia, went missing in early February in Burnaby, British Columbia, according to police.

Burnaby RCMP launched an investigation into the whereabouts of 45-year-old Masjoody on the evening of Feb. 2 after receiving reports from concerned neighbours, the RCMP’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said in a Feb. 5 news release.

“Initial investigation by the Burnaby RCMP determined that Mr. Masjoody’s disappearance was out of character and criminality was involved,” the IHIT said.

An IHIT spokesperson told The Guardian that all evidence collected by investigators indicates foul play. “We are treating this as a homicide,” Sgt. Freda Fong said, according to The Guardian.

The IHIT said on Feb. 5 that investigators are working to determine the circumstances surrounding Masjoody’s disappearance and are calling on those who knew him to come forward. Investigators also said there has been no indication that the incident is linked to gangs or extortion.

“We don’t believe Masood’s disappearance was random,” Fong said in the Feb. 5 news release. “We believe there are family and friends with important information who have yet to speak with us and we are asking them to come forward. It is essential for us to have all the information available to establish a fulsome timeline.”

Investigators released Masjoody’s photo on Feb. 5 to advance the investigation, the IHIT said.

Fong also said Masjoody was known for his online presence, in which he has been critical of the Iranian regime, and was also known for his role in mathematics in academia. She noted that a person’s background, lifestyle, and affiliations are part of every IHIT investigation and are considered when identifying a motive.

“We are aware of the impact Mr. Masjoody’s disappearance has had on his family, friends, and greater community,” Fong said. “As the search efforts continue, investigators are providing updates to family as they become available.”

The Epoch Times contacted the RCMP for further comment on the homicide investigation but didn’t hear back by publication.

The International Organization to Preserve Human Rights (IOPHR) has called the case “suspicious,” saying that the situation gives rise to “serious concerns” regarding Masjoody’s right to life, personal security, and human dignity.

“The IOPHR emphasises the necessity of an independent, impartial, and professional investigation and calls upon the competent authorities to maintain transparent and responsible public communication, in accordance with the law, including toward his family,” the IOPHR said in a Feb. 8 statement.

Iranian Canadian human rights activist Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay said in a Feb. 5 social media post that Masjoody had been “under threat for months” prior to his disappearance, as he was “trying to expose IRGC affiliates in Canada,” referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which was listed as a terrorist entity under Canada’s Criminal Code in 2024.

Boxing Gym, Synagogues Targets of Gunfire

The Masjoody homicide investigation comes as Toronto-area police have been investigating a shooting at a gym owned by an Iranian-Canadian activist along with multiple shootings at synagogues.

Iranian-Canadian activist and boxing champion Salar Gholami’s Toronto-area gym was shot at 17 times overnight on March 1, the night after the United States and Israel launched a strike on Iran. No one was at the gym at the time of the shooting.

Gholami has helped organize recent anti-Iranian regime protests in Toronto, including a large-scale demonstration on Feb. 14 that was attended by more than 350,000 people. Gholami said he thinks he was targeted by those who “support terrorists and the Islamic Republic.”

Police say the incident is under investigation and so far have not named any suspects.

Meanwhile, the Jewish community is calling for “urgent action” after a series of shootings targeting synagogues occurred in the Toronto area.

Toronto Police responded to reports of gunfire in the early hours of March 7, finding bullet holes in the doors of the Shaarei Shomayim synagogue. Authorities said no injuries have been reported.

Earlier that day, York Regional Police responded to reports of gunfire at the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto synagogue in the Thornhill neighbourhood. This incident also saw no reports of injuries.

The incidents came after another similar shooting, which targeted the Temple Emanu-El synagogue in Toronto’s North York district on March 2.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the attacks are “an assault on the rights of Jewish Canadians,” while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he is “appalled” by the shootings, and added that Canada’s Jewish community is “under attack.”

Police in the Toronto area said they have increased their presence to deter criminal activity in the aftermath of the Iran war.

More Targeted Attacks

In another incident involving a targeted attack, the LaSalle Police Service said last week that Nancy Grewal, 45, died after she was stabbed outside a home in LaSalle, Ont., and that the incident was being investigated as an intentional act against her.

“Investigators are confident this was not a random act of violence,” the police service said.

CBC News said Grewal had spoken to the media outlet ahead of her death about threats she was facing for speaking out about extremism within the Khalistani Sikh separatist movement.

“I know sometimes I feel scared when they said ‘[we’ll] kill you’ then I said ‘OK, you can kill me anytime,’” Grewal said in the interview, according to CBC News.

Khalistanis are followers of the Sikh faith who seek to carve out India’s Punjab region as an independent country.

Noé Chartier and Omid Ghoreishi contributed to this report.