A Maple Ridge man and North Vancouver woman accused of murdering a Burnaby activist who opposed the Iranian regime appeared in court in Vancouver on Monday morning.
Mehdi Ahmadzadeh Razavi, 48, of Maple Ridge, and Arezou Soltani, 45, of North Vancouver, both appeared by video monitor on first degree murder charges in the death of Masood Masjoody, 45. The Burnaby man’s body was found in Mission on Friday, March 6, with the help of police dogs the a search and rescue team.
Charges against the pair were laid a week after the body being recovered, on Friday, March 13.
The victim was reported missing by concerned neighbours on Feb. 2.
Masjoody, who described himself as a “pro‑democracy activist” had filed multiple lawsuits, including one against members of the Iranian community in the Lower Mainland.
The Iran Front for the Revival of Law and National Sovereignty issued a statement condemning his alleged murder.
“Sovereignty expresses its deep sorrow and grave concern over the murder of Dr. Masoud Masjoody, a former university instructor and member of this front…” said the group, which promotes “a secular-democratic future for Iran.”
According to investigators, the accused and the victim knew each other.
“We understand this case has impacted the Iranian community and has generated widespread concern and public interest. While the motive is still under investigation, we can say the victim and two accused were known to each other,” said Sgt. Freda Fong of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT).
“The laying of first-degree murder charges marks a significant milestone and reflects the hard work undertaken over the past several weeks; however, much work remains as the prosecution process begins.”
The pair will be back in court on March 25. There are publication bans on evidence and other information revealed to the court at a bail hearing.
None of the charges against the accused have been proven in court, and an accused is considered innocent until proven guilty.