Covering His Tracks: How Nima Eskandari Aided Regime and Tried to Vanish
When Nima Eskandari’s tactics for aiding the Iranian regime in suppressing protesters were exposed, he quickly scrambled to erase any trace of his involvement, shifting gears to present himself as a tech entrepreneur and distancing his public persona from the surveillance services he provided to the government. He began systematically removing information connecting him to Tenisol. For instance, he changed his profile status on F6S, a platform for company founders to expand their networks, from public to private.
Since January 2023, Eskandari has focused on rebranding his online presence by emphasizing Agtelligence. He has participated in various interviews with different websites, aiming to associate his name with his new startup rather than with Tenisol or the Citizen Lab report. For example, in an interview with Harwell on July 18, 2023, he claimed he moved to the UK on an entrepreneur’s visa in 2014 and later launched Agtelligence. However, this statement is inaccurate, as he founded Tenisol in May 2015 and established Agtelligence six years later, in November 2021.
Although Tenisol remains an active company, Eskandari updated his LinkedIn profile to reflect that he is no longer the Founder and Board Member of Tenisol as of June 2022.
Sanctions Against ArianTel
ArianTel was sanctioned by the EU on April 24, 2023, but it has not yet faced sanctions from the US or UK governments. Similarly, Eskandari and Tenisol remain unsanctioned by the EU, UK, or US. Activists are working to persuade Western governments to impose sanctions on these three entities. They argue that sanctioning Eskandari, Tenisol, Agtelligence and ArianTel would send a strong message to others providing software and technology to the Iranian regime, indicating that those who profit from facilitating services that violate the human rights of Iranian citizens will face the consequences of Western sanctions.
From London to Dubai
According to a source inside Iran, Eskandari relocated his operations involving Iran and ArianTel from London to Dubai in early 2023. While our source did not provide an exact date, we estimate that Eskandari’s move occurred after the publication of the Citizen Lab report, as part of his efforts to whitewash his activities. Dubai serves as a safe haven for the Iranian regime and its collaborators, allowing them to circumvent US sanctions. Additionally, the limited availability of public data on registered companies in Dubai, compared to the UK, further facilitates this process.
Increasing people’s awareness about people like Nima Eskandari
Although Nima Eskandari is not widely recognized by the media or the public in Iran, this research aims to raise awareness both within Iran and internationally. The findings highlight how numerous individuals and institutions across various countries, particularly in Europe, are operating in the interests of the Islamic Republic. These actors undermine the effectiveness of international sanctions and aid in the suppression of protesters in Iran, all while profiting significantly from their actions.
For more information, please read the investigative dossier included below
