Missing B.C. man was outspoken critic of Iranian regime

Homicide investigators are looking into the suspicious disappearance of a former SFU instructor who hasn't been seen since Monday.

More details are emerging on the Burnaby, B.C., man who disappeared this week under suspicious circumstances—including that he was an outspoken critic of the Iranian regime.

Masood Masjoody, a former Simon Fraser University instructor, was discovered missing after concerned neighbours called the RCMP to check on him.

The case was handed over to homicide investigators due to signs of criminality, the details of which have not been made public.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has only said Masjoody’s disappearance does not appear to be linked to gangs or the ongoing rash of extortions in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.

In a social media post Thursday, Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay, a prominent figure in the Iranian-Canadian community, said Masjoody had been “under threat for months” after trying to expose Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps affiliates in Canada.

“While I do not know him personally, he has publicly stood up against those who attempted to carry out character assassination and defame me online,” said Afshin-Jam MacKay, who is also the wife of former federal attorney general Peter MacKay.

In a statement, Sgt. Freda Fong of IHIT said Masjoody was “known for his online presence,” and also as a “mathematician who previously worked in academia.”

“A person’s background, lifestyle and affiliations form a part of every IHIT investigation. As with all cases, it will be taken into consideration when identifying a motive,” Fong added.

Few other details on his disappearance have been shared by investigators. Authorities did confirm an RCMP presence at a property on Burnaby’s Manchester Drive on Wednesday night was related to the Masjoody case.

Last year, Masjoody was also declared a vexatious litigant by the B.C. Court of Appeal after he unsuccessfully tried to sue the Burnaby Beacon, a since-shuttered online news publication.

“Masjoody has habitually, persistently, and without reasonable cause commenced or continued vexatious proceedings in the courts of British Columbia,” the May 23, 2025 decision reads, citing seven civil suits and eight appeals he had filed.

“This pattern of litigation has wasted valuable judicial resources and imposed unnecessary costs on opposing parties.”

The decision also references him “extensively” posting about his various lawsuits online, including in posts that one judge in a previous case deemed “decidedly misogynistic.”

A spokesperson for SFU said the university could not comment on the RCMP’s missing person case for privacy reasons.

IHIT shared an image of Masjoody on Thursday, and asked anyone who recognizes him and has information that can assist in their investigation to come forward as they piece together what happened.

Fong also acknowledged the impact his disappearance has had on “family, friends and (the) greater community.”

“As the search efforts continue, investigators are providing updates to family as they become available,” she said.