Ali Motahari to the Attorney General: Come Down from Your Ivory Tower

In the ongoing verbal war between Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and officials of the Judiciary, Mr. Motahari responded to the recent criticisms of the Attorney General on Wednesday, October 11, stating that the power of the Judiciary is preserved through reform, not through intolerance towards criticism. Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Attorney General of Iran, criticized a representative who supports 'problematic individuals and those affiliated with the counter-revolution and opposition' without naming Motahari. The Attorney General said, 'Have you ever come to support the cases of ordinary people? If you claim to advocate for freedom, why don't you stand up for all of them? Why do you lie?' He also stated that 'these gentlemen have no right to interfere in judicial matters.' In a letter responding to Montazeri's remarks, Motahari wrote to the Attorney General that the individuals he considers affiliated with the counter-revolution and opposition are subjected to double oppression due to the mindset of people like him, who view all critics and opponents as either subversive or linked to anti-regime news outlets unless proven otherwise. Motahari added, 'You said, 'Why do you lie?' I say if you come down from your ivory tower and let the families of detainees come to you to explain how their children were arrested at work or home, how they were humiliated, and how they have been deprived of legal representation, you would realize that my words are not lies.' He continued, 'You have spoken about the necessity of preserving the power of the Judiciary, which is correct, but the power of the Judiciary is maintained through reform, not through intolerance towards criticism. You need to change your perspective on the issue of preserving the regime.' While the Attorney General claims that members of Parliament 'have no right to interfere in judicial matters,' many current and former members of Parliament believe that the Parliament has the right to oversee all institutions, including the Judiciary. According to Article 76 of the Constitution, the Islamic Consultative Assembly has the right to investigate 'in all matters of the country.' However, Judiciary officials have previously stated that this branch is only accountable to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Montazeri is not the only Judiciary official who has recently responded to Motahari's criticisms. Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi, the Tehran Attorney General, also rejected claims of 'improper detention' of individuals, including journalists, stating, 'How long must judges and the Judiciary tolerate the interference of people like Mr. Motahari in judicial cases?' In a note published in the Tuesday edition of the newspaper Etemad, Motahari referred to the 'improper detention' of individuals, including journalists, and asked, 'How long must we, especially representatives from Tehran, be the refuge and shelter for the families of these detainees and repeatedly be approached by them when there is not much we can do?' Among the criticisms regarding the Judiciary's treatment of political prisoners are 'detaining individuals without presenting a detention order,' 'interrogation before informing of charges,' 'temporary detention for several months without a trial,' 'issuing sentences at the behest of security agencies,' and 'torturing prisoners.'