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List of Iranian defectors

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This is a list of individuals who have defected from Iran.

More information Name, Occupation ...
Name Occupation Year Notes Ref.
Alireza Sohbati Diplomat 2026 Diplomat at the Iranian embassy in Copenhagen, applied for asylum in Denmark. [1]
Mohammad Pournajaf Diplomat 2026 Chargé d'affaires of the Islamic Republic’s embassy in Canberra, applied for asylum in Australia. [1]
Atefeh Ramezanizadeh Athlete 2026 Player for the Iran women's national football team; defected during the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup in Australia and was subsequently granted a humanitarian visa by the Australian government [2][3]
Zahra Ghanbari Athlete 2026 Player for the Iran women's national football team; defected during the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup in Australia and was subsequently granted a humanitarian visa by the Australian government [2][3]
Fatemeh Pasandideh Athlete 2026 Player for the Iran women's national football team; defected during the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup in Australia and was subsequently granted a humanitarian visa by the Australian government [2][3]
Gholam-Reza Derikvand Diplomat 2026 Chargé d'affaires of the Iranian embassy in Vienna; requested asylum from Switzerland due to the political unrest during the 2025-2026 Iranian protests [4]
Alireza Jeyrani Hokmabad Diplomat 2026 Senior official at Iran’s permanent mission to UN; requested asylum from Switzerland due to the political unrest during the 2025-2026 Iranian protests [5]
Kimia Alizadeh Athlete 2020 First woman from Iran to win an Olympic medal (Taekwondo) [6]
Saeid Mollaei Athlete 2019 Olympic judoka and 2018 world champion [7]
Pourya Jalalipour Athlete 2019 Para-archer who qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan [8]
Farzad Farhangian Diplomat 2010 Former press attache at the Iranian embassy in Brussels, Belgium [9]
Mohammad Reza Heydari Diplomat 2010 [9]
Hossein Alizadeh Diplomat 2010 [9]
Shahram Amiri Nuclear scientist 2009 Returned to Iran in 2010; executed by the Iranian government in 2016 “for revealing top secrets to the enemy” [10]
Ahmad Rezaee 1998 Eldest son of Iranian conservative politician and senior military officer Mohsen Rezaee; found dead in 2011 at a hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (possible assassination) [11]
Abdolghassem Mesbahi Intelligence operative 1996 [12]
Marzieh Singer 1994 [13]
Mehdi Rezvani Athlete 1986 Weightlifter competing at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, South Korea; won the bronze medal at the 242-pound class [14]
Samad Montazeri Athlete 1986 Weightlifter competing at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, South Korea [14]
Siamak Bajand Athlete 1986 Weightlifter competing at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, South Korea [14]
Ardhir Bahmanyar Athlete 1986 Weightlifter competing at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, South Korea [14]
Ali Akbar Mohammadi Pilot 1986 Former pilot for the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Akbar Rafsanjani; assassinated in Hamburg, West Germany, in 1987 [15]
Iraj Fazeli Pilot 1983 Due to his opposition to the Iranian regime, he first flew to Van in Turkey in a Northrop F-5 (the plane returned a week later). He later went to the U.S. before disappearing there in 1989. [16][17]
Parviz Khazai Diplomat 1982 Chargé d'affaires at the Iranian embassy in Oslo, Norway [18]
Reza Abedi Athlete 1982 Wrestler [19]
Ardeshir Asgari Athlete 1982 Wrestler [19]
Keyhan Jahanfakhr Pilot 1982 Iranian airline pilot; applied for political asylum in Austria after piloting his Iran Air Boeing 727 on a flight from Tehran [20][21]
Seyyed Jabbar Mehdiyoun Athlete 1982 Wrestler; defected during the 1982 World Wrestling Championships in Edmonton, Canada [22]
Mohammad Hossein Naghdi Diplomat 1982 Charge d'affaires at the Iranian embassy in Rome, Italy; assassinated in Rome in 1993 [23][24]
Javad Hussain Military 1981 Iranian Air Force colonel [25]
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