Ahmadinejad and His Supporters Sit-in Protest Against the Imprisonment of Baghaei and Mashaei

Following the ineffectiveness of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic regarding the situation of Hamid Baghaei in prison, the former president along with his supporters staged a sit-in at Imamzadeh Saleh in Tajrish, Tehran. The government-affiliated website, Dowlat Bahar, reported this event and published images, stating that Ahmadinejad participated in a ceremony for 'the sit-in and prayer for the freedom of all innocent and oppressed prisoners at Imamzadeh Saleh in Tajrish.' Several placards held by the protesters listed names of individuals believed to be supporters of the former president who have been detained. This sit-in occurred after Ahmadinejad warned in a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei about the 'critical' condition of Hamid Baghaei, his former deputy, in prison due to a hunger strike. He wrote that the Supreme Leader 'knows' that Baghaei is 'innocent and pure and has committed no financial misconduct or abuse.' Ahmadinejad further stated that based on 'reports,' Baghaei's health condition is 'deteriorating' due to the hunger strike, and he 'expects' Khamenei to issue a decisive order to prevent a major disaster and irreparable damages. The Dowlat Bahar website also published a note from Ahmadinejad on Wednesday (January 28), where he wrote that the national security of the country depends on 'the satisfaction of the people with their living conditions and the enjoyment of fundamental rights, freedom, justice, dignity, and welfare.' He emphasized that 'public trust and belief in the honesty and efficiency of the system's officials and the governing structures in meeting the people's demands' and 'a sense of belonging to the homeland and pride in national identity and hope for a better future' are also key factors in ensuring national security. Ahmadinejad added that 'the use of military power is only effective and efficient when the three main pillars [mentioned] in national security are sufficiently strong to garner public support and participation in defending the identity, integrity, and independence of the nation and country.' He indirectly criticized those who undermine and destroy these three principles while openly violating the fundamental rights of the people under the pretext of preserving national security, stating that they are the main cause of threats and disruptions to national security and provide opportunities for enemies. After the trial and detention of Hamid Baghaei and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, senior officials from Ahmadinejad's presidency, he has written two letters to the Supreme Leader. In these letters, he severely criticized the state of the country, calling for reforms in the structures of several institutions, including the Guardian Council and the Judiciary, clarifying the status of parallel institutions, establishing a constitutional court, and removing armed forces from political affairs and economic activities. Ahmadinejad has repeatedly stated in his letters that the Judiciary has 'completely deviated from the path of justice.' In one of his letters, he told Ayatollah Khamenei that 'we have had no freedom for 40 years.' Despite Ahmadinejad's harsh remarks, the Judiciary has not taken action against him and has only detained his close associates. Mohammad Reza Bahonar, a prominent principlist figure and Secretary-General of the Engineers Society, has commented on Ahmadinejad, saying that 'he is a computer whose software we do not know much about.' Bahonar added, 'We are afraid to approach his keyboard. It might turn into something else altogether. He tries to advance his work intelligently, but he does not have a good end.' Hussein Dehghan, a defense advisor to the Supreme Leader, stated that 'Ahmadinejad is now like the door of a mosque. He cannot be removed or burned. It was the same during his rule.' Hamid Baghaei, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds, was arrested on March 22 to serve his sentence and has reportedly been on a hunger strike since then. Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff, was also arrested two days after he burned Baghaei's sentence in front of the British embassy in Tehran. Ali Akbar Javanfekr, Ahmadinejad's media advisor, wrote in a note on his Telegram channel that 'some judicial officials, referring to Mr. Baghaei's hunger strike, claimed that any incident resulting from the hunger strike of a prisoner is considered suicide and the responsibility lies with him.' He added that 'if these statements are true, they stem from a painful ignorance or a regrettable attempt to mislead public opinion, because based on this misguided thinking, Imam Hussein and his oppressed companions also committed suicide during the Ashura incident.' Javanfekr described the accusations against Baghaei as 'absurd' and stated that 'the judiciary is obliged to release Mr. Hamid Baghaei from prison and restore his case. Taking this action is a duty of the judiciary and will save Mr. Hamid Baghaei from a tragic and imminent incident in prison and relieve the country from its heavy consequences.' Ahmadinejad's former advisor has also held the Judiciary directly responsible for Baghaei's hunger strike.