Suspects in B.C. killing of vocal Iran critic to make Vancouver court appearance

Two people accused of killing a vocal Iran critic in British Columbia are set to appear in a Vancouver courtroom Monday morning.

Court records show 48-year-old Mehdi Ahmadzadeh Razavi of Maple Ridge and 45-year-old Arezou Soltani of North Vancouver are scheduled for a hearing to fix a date for a future appearance.

Razavi and Soltani have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Masood Masjoody, a mathematician who was an instructor for a time at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C.

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Homicide investigators have said Masjoody was last seen in February, and his remains were found in Mission, B.C., on March 6.

Sgt. Freda Fong says investigators believe Masjoody’s killing was “targeted,” and that the Burnaby man had “ongoing disputes” with the suspects.

Court records show Masjoody filed lawsuits in recent years naming many parties as defendants, including the suspects as well as the late Shah of Iran’s son, Reza Pahlavi, alleging defamation and harassment.

Masjoody was declared a “vexatious litigant” by the B.C. Court of Appeal last year.