Hossein Hedayati, a former brigadier general in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who later became involved in Iranian football, has reappeared in the media after documents from Bank Sarmayeh detailing his massive debts were released.
While some Iranian media outlets have referred to Hedayati as a “former Persepolis FC fan” or “former manager involved in Iranian football,” they have not provided information on his background within the IRGC.
Hedayati joined the IRGC in 1982 and served in the military and security agencies until the1990s and retired as a brigadier general.
However, in the late 2000s, he managed to obtain a $200 million loan from Iran’s banking system and avoided repayment until the late 2010s. Hedayati was arrested in December 2016.
Hossein Hedayati’s Life in Evin Prison
Hedayati may have technically been a prisoner, but he enjoyed a suite set apart from other inmates, complete with amenities far beyond typical detainee conditions.
In June 2020, Etemad newspaper reported, “Hedayati is kept in the theft and criminal ward. He has bought a carpet, fridge, and TV for his cell. When he showers, 16 shower stalls are emptied for him. He also has conjugal visits every day, but here, such visits are limited to once a month.”
In Evin prison terminology, a conjugal visit allows inmates to meet and have private time, including sexual relations, with their spouses or even sex workers.
This major bank debtor, whom media outlets portray as only a “football enthusiast and manager,” enjoyed special privileges throughout his detention, including frequent conjugal visits and private showers.
Hedayati’s Relationship with the IRGC
A loyal member of the IRGC, Hedayati claimed to have joined in 1982. In a 2014 interview with Khabar Varzeshi newspaper, he disclosed his IRGC background and said that he served as a commander until the 1990s.
However, in a 2017 interview with Karkhanedar magazine, he claimed he had retired from the IRGC in 1988 and pursued a business career.
In another 2015 interview, he claimed that he served “a decade” in the IRGC and used his IRGC earnings to build a Husayniyya - a religious place for Shia Muslims.
His accounts also varied regarding his service benefits. In 2014, he told Khabar Varzeshi that the IRGC gave personnel a special bonus each year and recalled receiving money, which he invested in gold coins that yielded high returns.
However, he told Karkhanedar that his father owned a factory where he worked from a young age and eventually inherited wealth.
How Did Hossein Hedayati Become Wealthy?
Part of Hedayati’s wealth-building formula was unveiled by ISport on May 5, 2015. This now-defunct private outlet reported that until 2007, Hedayati bought properties using a unique approach.
According to ISport, Hedayati would pay up to 25 per cent of a property’s value, signing a contract to pay the remainder in instalments with long-term checks.
Leveraging his influence in the banking system, he would mortgage these properties immediately after signing the contract to obtain large loans.
Effectively, Hedayati took out low-interest loans by placing properties he hadn’t fully paid for as collateral.
His background and connections within the IRGC, particularly with high-ranking officials like Commander Hossein Dehghan, provided a safety net for his activities.
However, he didn’t stop there.
Three to six months after securing loans, he would sell these mortgaged properties to other people and use the loaned funds to purchase new properties in the same manner.
In 2015, ISport reported that the bulk of Hedayati’s bank debts were with Parsian, Eghtesad Novin, and Melli banks.
According to documents cited in the report, a portion of his debt to Parsian Bank alone exceeded 500 billion tomans (as of June 21, 2013). Yet, no action was taken against him by the judiciary at the time.
Despite substantial debts, both the administrations of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hassan Rouhani awarded him key posts and opportunities in Iran’s sports and economic sectors.
The recent revelations by Bank Sarmayeh were first made public by members of the Iranian Parliament in November 2017.
Mahmoud Sadeghi, a then-member of the Iranian parliament, posted an image on X that listed notable debtors to Bank Sarmayeh and the amounts they owed.
The list included people who had taken loans from the bank between 2006 and 2016 and had failed to repay them or meet payment terms.
On the list, with total debts exceeding 10 trillion tomans, Hossein Hedayati’s name appeared twice.
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