Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian, an Iranian government official accused of overseeing mass arrests and authorizing the use of lethal force during the Iran protests in 2022, has been appointed as the governor of Tehran. Motamedian previously worked for Iran's Intelligence Ministry and has been linked to the crackdown on protests in West Azerbaijan Province. Human rights groups report that 56 protesters died under Motamedian's tenure as governor. This appointment is part of Iran's President Pezeshkian's strategy of placing controversial figures in high positions, as seen with the recent appointment of Hossein Ali Amiri, known for persecuting religious minorities, as the governor of Fars Province.