Masood Masjoody, an Iranian activist and mathematician, was reported missing in early February. By mid-March, police in British Columbia discovered his body and charged two fellow Iran-born activists with first-degree murder. The pair had previously been accused by Masjoody of plotting to kill him on social media.
Days after Masjoody's disappearance, 10 other outspoken diaspora figures received a threatening message on X (formerly Twitter). The post, written in Farsi and topped with a knife emoji, warned, 'Soon you’ll have to find the corpses of many.' The account, named after the SAVAK (the monarchy's former secret police), was later deactivated.
The case has intensified divisions within the Iranian diaspora, particularly among those opposing both the Iranian government and a campaign to install Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former shah, as Iran's next leader. The two charged in Masjoody's killing had publicly supported the monarchist movement.
Supporters of Pahlavi deny any involvement in the threats, accusing government agents of impersonating activists. Iran's government has a history of targeting dissidents abroad. Anti-war activists and Pahlavi opponents describe a climate of fear, with some reporting threats to police and altering their routines.
The incident highlights the broader tensions within the diaspora over Iran's leadership and the ongoing war, with factions divided on who should lead if the current government falls.