Ayatollah Khamenei
Khamenei is Iran's "Supreme Leader" - an unelected dictator who claims authority from God. He took power in Iran following the death of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989 and remains an absolute ruler. He heads the unelected clique of 12 clerics known as the Guardian Council, which selects judges and can veto any law passed by Parliament. Under Khamenei's reign, scores of dissidents have been thrown in prison for nothing more than "insulting the Supreme Leader," a criminal act in Iran. Parade Magazine ranked him #9 on its 2006 list of the world's worst dictators.

Saeed Mortazavi
Known as the "butcher of the newspapers," Saeed Mortazavi made his reputation as a high-ranking judge in charge of the press courts. He has shut down over 100 pro-reform publications on blanket charges - most of them "insulting the Supreme Leader" or "defaming Islam and the prophets" - and is responsible for incarcerating scores of journalists on trumped up allegations. Mortazavi was appointed general prosecutor of Tehran in 2002 and is suspected of ordering the murder of Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, killed in police custody after photographing a demonstration. Ironically, he headed the inquiry investigation into a murder he is thought to have orchestrated.

The Basij
This Iranian paramilitary force is a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They enforce Iran's Islamic social codes, and have a branch in almost every Iranian mosque. Basij commander Brigadier General Mohammad Hejazi estimates the number of Basij personnel at roughly 11 million. They are sent in to break up rallies and demonstrations, often riding motorcycles. They have been called the "Hell's Angels of the Hezbollah" and are brought out whenever the regime needs to threaten the opposition with gangster-style intimidation, brutality, and even assassination. These state vigilantes are celebrated by the ruling clerics as "defenders of the faith" and pledge allegiance to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.