Ahmadinejad Once Again Protests the Legal Pursuit of His Former Managers

The former president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, once again accused judicial officials of attempting to issue a "pre-written" verdict regarding Hamid Baghaei, criticized the assault on three of his managers at the Abdul Azim shrine, and thanked them for ending their "sit-in". According to the Government Bahar website, on Sunday, November 19, Ahmadinejad accused the judiciary of insisting on unjustly and oppressively punishing several former government managers "in violation of all current laws and principles related to the definitive rights of the people in the constitution." He referred to Baghaei's request for a public trial, stating that "apparently, a pre-written verdict is to be operationalized under the guise of judicial proceedings." Ahmadinejad emphasized that "any objection or complaint regarding the behavior of judicial officials is met with harsh and illegal responses and the formation of new cases, and apparently, legal and administrative avenues for addressing the grievances of the oppressed are blocked." On Wednesday, November 16, Ahmadinejad, while present with his three managers at the Abdul Azim shrine in Shahr-e Rey, accused judicial officials of a "conspiracy" against him and his associates and of attempting to politically condemn Hamid Baghaei, telling them that "the people will bring you down." He mentioned that "we oppose the Larijani brothers," addressing the judiciary officials, saying, "either you are not Iranian or you do not know Iran." Ahmadinejad also criticized the judiciary's behavior in an interview, stating that the powers of this branch exceed those of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Hamid Baghaei, Ahmadinejad's deputy during his presidency, on Wednesday, November 16, announced that he would not attend his trial and, along with Ali Akbar Javanfekr, Ahmadinejad's advisor, and Habibollah Khorasani, the former accountant of the presidency, would stage a sit-in at the Abdul Azim shrine in protest against the judiciary's behavior. The Government Bahar Telegram channel reported on Saturday, November 18, that "organized attacks by plainclothes forces" targeted these three managers and their supporters at the Abdul Azim shrine. Following this attack, the three former government managers announced on Sunday, November 19, that they would end their sit-in due to the "importance of preserving the sanctity" of the Abdul Azim shrine. Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad, referring to the attack on his three managers, stated that "unfortunately, this sacred and universally respected sanctuary has not been spared from the assault of a number of agents affiliated with selfish, greedy individuals distant from the essence of the revolution and the people." The former president of Iran also thanked his government managers for "intelligently preventing further desecration" of this shrine. He emphasized that "supporting the oppressed is a human and religious duty and does not stop with the closure of some paths, and by God's grace, it will find its way." On the third day of their sit-in, Baghaei, Javanfekr, and Khorasani requested that the Supreme Leader appoint Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, to investigate their case. However, no response has been given to their request so far. Baghaei was arrested in 2015 due to financial allegations, and after that, Ahmadinejad's associates reported that he was released by the order of the Supreme Leader. He was also arrested in July of this year and released on a bail of 20 billion tomans. Baghaei, along with Ahmadinejad, had registered for the presidential elections in 2017, but the Guardian Council disqualified both of them. The allegations against Baghaei include "requesting a total bonus of 300 million tomans for 16 members of the government," "assisting the International University of Iranians," "supporting the Iranian House Organization," "aiding the state newspaper Iran," and "colluding in contracts and transactions of five companies." However, Baghaei has denied these allegations, stating that the charges and evidence in his case are "illegal." Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff, has also been summoned to the prosecutor's office on charges of "insulting" the leadership, "illegal appropriation of state property, insulting system officials, and spreading falsehoods."