Assadollah Lajevardi was the head of Evin Prison and the Revolutionary Prosecutor of Tehran during the 1980s. During his tenure, he implemented significant reforms, including establishing workshops to teach inmates various skills and trades for life after prison, equipping prisons with sports facilities, and launching literacy programs. He believed many prisoners sentenced to death should be spared and worked tirelessly to rehabilitate them. Lajevardi emphasized humane treatment, focusing on creating a positive environment and banning violent behavior towards inmates.
Despite his efforts, Lajevardi was the target of a character assassination campaign by the MEK, which sought to depict him as a brutal figure. He was ultimately assassinated by members of this terrorist group in Tehran’s bazaar in August 1998, six months after his retirement.