Ahmadinejad Urges Ayatollah Khamenei to Convey His Remarks on 'Freedom of Expression' to the Judiciary

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran, in a new letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, pointed out that the judiciary apparently does not accept Ayatollah Khamenei's recent remarks about freedom of expression. He called for trials to be held publicly and for a body to be established to address the violations of the judiciary. In his Nowruz speech in Mashhad, the Supreme Leader had stated: 'There is freedom of thought and freedom of expression; no one has been pressured or harmed for opposing the government's views; anyone who claims otherwise is lying.' Ahmadinejad specifically referred to the detention of two of his close associates and several of his young supporters in his new letter, which was published on the 'Dolat Bahar' website on Friday, March 3. He addressed the Supreme Leader regarding the detention of his deputy, saying: 'You are fully aware of the situation of Mr. Hamid Bakai, a senior manager in the ninth and tenth governments.' Bakai, who was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for financial corruption, was transferred to prison last week and has reportedly gone on a hunger strike since then, according to his supporters. Ahmadinejad also protested the recent detention of his advisor, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, stating that he is 'detained solely for protesting the violations and clear injustices of the judiciary and is undergoing severe interrogations without the presence of a lawyer and investigator.' In recent months, Ahmadinejad has repeatedly criticized the judiciary, the government of Hassan Rouhani, and some officials of the Islamic Republic, writing letters to the Supreme Leader. In his new letter, he explicitly emphasized that the 'official ideology governing the country' is at odds with 'noble ideas regarding freedom and justice.' The Supreme Leader had stated the day before in Mashhad: 'Some are being unfair. They take advantage of the existing freedom and falsely claim that there is no freedom. Foreign radios and foreign propaganda echo their words. The reality is not like that.' Numerous human rights organizations have repeatedly accused the Iranian authorities of violating international covenants on freedom of expression and have called for the immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners in Iran. These organizations cite various instances, including house arrest for opponents, the detention of thousands of street protesters, and widespread repression in universities and other institutions. In his new letter to the Supreme Leader, Ahmadinejad wrote: 'Currently, many young people and citizens, both men and women, are in prison for these reasons and sometimes for expressing opinions in cyberspace, and the judiciary, in dealing with them, has not only violated the established principles of the Constitution but also many ordinary laws that, unfortunately, have been written entirely in favor of the judiciary rather than the people.' Ahmadinejad's protest comes at a time when human rights organizations inside and outside the country have repeatedly criticized the violation of citizens' rights and freedom of expression during his presidency, particularly regarding the severe repression of protests, especially in detention centers like Kahrizak. However, in recent months, he has told a group of students that 'there were some issues we did not know. We really did not know and later became aware.' Ayatollah Khamenei had previously implicitly accused Ahmadinejad and his close circle of 'doing the enemy's work inside' and stated: 'Those who have or had all the country's resources have no right to play the role of the opposition.' Ahmadinejad, who has previously written at least three other letters to the Supreme Leader, mentioned in his new letter without going into details that some individuals 'are upset that I present truths to Your Excellency and unleash a torrent of insults and accusations.' In his letter, Ahmadinejad made three proposals and asked Ayatollah Khamenei to convey his recent statements about 'the people's right to freedom' to the judiciary; that all trials 'except in cases specified in the Constitution' be held publicly; and that 'an independent and trustworthy authority' be established to address complaints against the judiciary's violations. Ahmadinejad has previously sent letters against the Islamic Republic's judiciary and other officials to Ali Khamenei and has even stated that 'for 40 years we have had no freedom whatsoever.'