Aussies unleash after psychologist daughter of sanctioned Iranian military leader is granted permanent residency
A growing number of Australians are calling for an Iranian psychologist to be deported after it was revealed her father is a feared Iranian military commander.
Hanieh Sadat Safavi, the daughter of Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, is understood to have been granted permanent residency in Australia in October 2024.
Her father, a former senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has championed policies that violate citizens’ human rights.
He is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which was listed by the Australian government as a state sponsor of terrorism last November.
Ms Safavi is believed to have lived in Australia for two years, first in Townsville in Queensland and later in Melbourne, with her husband Ali Golchin.
Photos shared on social media by activists and members of the Iranian diaspora last November showed her now-deleted LinkedIn profile with locations in Australia.
She described herself as a ‘psychologist, CBT [cognitive behavioural therapy] and EFT [emotionally focused therapy] therapist, family and individual therapist’.
But, her strong ties to Iran’s brutal regime have deeply unsettled Iranian immigrants who fled the regime for a safer life in Australia.
Hanieh Sadat Safavi (pictured), daughter of a former Iranian military commander, is understood to have been granted permanent residency in October 2024
Her father General Yahya Rahim Safavi (pictured left with former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and General Mohammad Ali Jaafari in 2006) is close to the brutal regime that has committed human rights violations in Iran
A petition on Change.org has called for Ms Safavi to be deported and has gained more than 80,000 signatures in just under a month.
‘Australia must not become a safe haven for those connected to regimes responsible for brutal repression and human suffering,’ the organiser wrote.
‘We, as concerned members of the global Iranian community and supporters of human rights, call on the Australian government to conduct a thorough, lawful, and transparent review of the residency status of Hanieh Sadat Safavi and similar individuals.
‘This is not a call for discrimination, but a demand for accountability, due diligence, and respect for the values Australia stands for.’
Suren Edgar, 42, who moved to Australia from Iran in 2014, says there has been a lack of government transparency over Ms Safavi’s presence in the country.
‘It was shocking,’ Mr Edgar, a father and vice president of the Australian Iranian Community Alliance (AICA), told Daily Mail on Thursday.
‘Many Iranian-Australians fled the country in the last few years, and they left behind their family members, careers and, in some cases, imprisoned relatives.
‘When they see close relatives of senior regime figures obtaining permanent residency without any kind of public clarification, it creates fear and confusion for us.’
Ms Safavi is understood to have first lived in Townsville and then Melbourne with her husband Ali Golchin (both pictured)
A petition calling for Ms Safavi’s deportation has reached 81,000 signatures
It was revealed by The Australian on Wednesday that Ms Safavi had been granted a student visa on February 29, 2024.
She was then granted permanent residency through a 189 Skilled Independent Visa in October of that year, it reported.
There is one provisionally registered psychologist on the AHPRA database, an Iranian practitioner believed to be Ms Safavi – under the name Hanieh Sadat Safavi Homami.
Her personal details include a Master’s degree in Family Counselling from the University of Tehran in 2019, and a Bachelor’s degree from Shahid Beheshti University in 2016.
Ms Safavi’s provisional registration was granted in October last year.
However, she is unable to practice until the regulator approves a transitional program for her foreign credentials.
‘Her visa had been granted after eight months. I had to wait between five and seven years to get my permanent residency,’ Mr Edgar said. ‘How is that possible for someone who has a direct link to the IRGC through her family.
‘It’s not about attacking an individual because of their family. However, when someone has direct family ties to a senior military figure who has been sanctioned by Australia, it is reasonable to ask whether enhanced scrutiny was applied.’
Iranian-Australian Suren Edgar (pictured left with his wife and son) said Ms Safavi’s speedy visa approval was shocking, and called for transparency from the government on the decision
General Safavi (pictured in the centre during naval manoeuvres in the Gulf in 2006) has been associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is listed as a terror organisation by the Australian government
Australia categorised the IRGC as a state sponsor of terrorism following the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador over allegations he directed attacks against Jewish targets in Sydney and Melbourne.
These included a firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6, 2024, and an arson attack on Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Sydney two months before that.
People who have fled Iran, including Mr Edgar, continue to fear repercussions from the Ayatollah regime.
The campaigner said while he lived in Iran, he spoke out when he disagreed with the policies and eventually left out of concern for the lack of rights granted to women.
‘When you’re active against that regime, I say that we all have to have two more eyes behind our head because we know how brutal that regime is,’ he said.
‘We know they do whatever they can to stay in power, to keep others silent, and of course, that brings fear to the community. We are not denying opportunities to someone based on who their father is [like Ms Safavi.
‘This is about ensuring that Australia applies consistent standards when national security and foreign interference risks are involved.
‘If full security assessments were conducted and concerns addressed, then the government should say that because transparency would calm the community.’
Damage is seen following a firebombing at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne
The Iranian ambassador to Australia was expelled from the country last year over allegations he directed the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December 2024
A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs told the Daily Mail they cannot comment on individual cases for privacy reasons.
‘All non-citizens applying for an Australian visa are considered on an individual basis against legal requirements set out in Australia’s migration legislation,’ they said.
‘The Department of Home Affairs works with law enforcement and intelligence partners to cancel or refuse visas of non-citizens who are at risk to Australia’s national security.
‘All visa applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and all criteria must be satisfied before a visa can be granted.
‘To be granted a visa, all applicants must meet all legal requirements, including health, character and security criteria.’
