Mohammad-Javad Ardeshir Larijani (Persian: محمدجواد لاریجانی; born 1951 (1951)) is an Iranian conservative politician and former diplomat.

He is currently a top adviser to the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in foreign affairs and secretary of High Council for Human rights, Judiciary of Islamic Republic of Iran.

Larijani, raised in a religious family, graduated from a hawza before starting his higher education in electrical engineering in Aryamehr University, wearing the uniform for the full four years.

[2] In a 2010 NBC News interview, Larijani defended the arrest of Nasrin Sotoudeh, an Iranian feminist activist, and a prominent human rights lawyer.

Sotoudeh was detained in September and faces trial for "collusion against national security" and "spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic.".

[6] Larijani told NBC News that Iranian authorities believed that she was engaged "in a very nasty campaign" against Iran's national security.