Bahner: Mousavi Did Not Accept My Proposal to Lift House Arrest

The newspaper Shargh, on its front page titled "Bahner's Condition for Lifting House Arrest," refers to Mohammad Reza Bahner's statements about the possibility of lifting the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard. According to this principlist figure, he sent a message to Mr. Mousavi to announce that if he is freed, he will not engage in political activities for years; however, it seems he did not accept... Sometimes, these gentlemen say they want to live their lives and do not want to engage in politics; but at other times, they want to come out and launch attacks. It is clear that the system will not allow such actions. Shargh notes that "Mohammad Reza Bahner, Secretary-General of the Front of Followers of the Line of Imam and Leadership, finally found a channel to convey his message to Mir Hossein Mousavi under house arrest," adding that he "did not specify how and through what channel" he communicated his message to Mousavi. It recalls that Bahner had previously expressed differing opinions about the house arrest and Mousavi, being the same person who wrote the famous confidential letter before the 2009 elections; many said Bahner indicated Mousavi's victory in that letter, but he stated: "I still think I fulfilled my duty in writing that letter to the Supreme Leader. I did not write that Mousavi would certainly win; rather, I mentioned the possibility of Mr. Mousavi's victory. In that letter to the Leader, I wrote about the possibility of a repeat of the second Khordad, which was part of my religious duties. I presented that letter to the Supreme Leader; however, the content and tone of the letter did not suggest support for Mousavi but served as a reminder and warning that if Mousavi won against the wishes of the principlists, what should we do?" The newspaper Arman describes Bahner's statements as a groundwork for the "continuation of the house arrest" of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard, noting that Bahner stated in an interview with ILNA news agency: "The best situation that can continue is the house arrest. If a court wants to officially try these gentlemen according to the laws of the country, their sentences will be severe, and it may not be in the best interest for these sentences to be executed; however, it may be asked why these individuals are not released since they have not been tried. In response, it should be said that in the world, you will not find anyone who acts against a regime and is free." The newspaper Etemad also dedicated its front page to "house arrest" and the resurgence of statements from political figures regarding it, stating: "House arrest has become a common keyword for reformist and principlist men in the two thousand and some days of its existence. Prominent figures from both political factions spoke separately about house arrest and the fate that has accompanied them for six years." This newspaper writes that "Mohammad Reza Bahner, a prominent figure among the principlists, in an interview with ILNA news agency, considers the two candidates of the 2009 presidential election as the opposition of the regime, but speaks of a message he recently sent to Mr. Mousavi; a message that seeks to obtain a promise from Mr. Mousavi that he will not engage in political activities for years if freed, again facing a negative response." On the other hand, Mohammad Reza Aref, a reformist political figure and head of the Hope faction in the tenth parliament, on Saturday during a meeting with students, reiterated the same points that have been frequently mentioned by Hassan Rouhani, emphasizing the importance of remembering all the promises made, among which "lifting the house arrest" stands out the most. The newspaper Tejarat highlighted the statements of the Director General of the Anti-Smuggling Goods and Currency Organization regarding the "destruction of thirteen luxury cars" and quoted Abdolmajid Ejtehadi as saying: "For the first time, a ceremony for the destruction of 13 smuggled luxury cars will be held this week." According to this official, the case of the smuggling of thirteen luxury cars, including a Benz S 500, BMW, Porsche, and Range Rover, which entered the country through unofficial borders, was investigated last year, and while the importer of these cars "had sold some of them, with necessary follow-ups, the matter was discovered, and the case was addressed in the Anti-Smuggling Organization, where the accused was sentenced to pay 14 billion tomans in fines, and the cars were confiscated." The newspaper Tejarat quoted Abdolmajid Ejtehadi as saying: "Due to the fact that there is currently no possibility of offering these cars in the country according to current regulations, and also the issue of exporting them is not feasible, these 13 luxury cars will be destroyed this week in Fars province, where their case was examined." Meanwhile, the newspaper Javan, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, headlined "Corruption Cards in Official Imports," stating: "Officials from the Ministry of Industry, the Chamber of Commerce, Taxation, Customs, and other agencies involved in the fight against smuggling must answer when serious and decisive action will be taken against disposable trade cards." This newspaper published an interview with an individual identified as "H-D," stating that his real job is "driving," but the trade card issued in his name has "imported 137 billion tomans worth of goods in seven months," while this driver "does not have money for marriage." The newspaper close to the Revolutionary Guards wrote: "The scandal of rental trade cards has reached a point where it seems that the issuance of trade cards should be entrusted to a committee consisting of the government, representatives of oversight agencies such as the Inspection Organization, the Court of Audit, as well as representatives from the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the private sector, so that we no longer witness the exploitation of some capitalists from the weaker sections of society." The newspaper Kayhan also emphasized in its front page that "other Karsant contracts are on the way," accusing the eleventh government of "bypassing the parliament" in major economic contracts, including oil contracts, stating: "Bypassing the parliament in important matters such as new oil contracts, as acknowledged by experts, creates harmful contracts like Karsant that must be prevented." The newspaper Noavaran reported on "the entrance of Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters into the highway," stating that the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, the economic branch of the Revolutionary Guards, "as indicated by the Minister of Roads and Urban Development, will soon participate in the construction project of the Tehran-North highway." Abbas Akhundi, the Minister of Roads and Urban Development, stated that "for the entrance of Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters into the Tehran-North highway project, an agreement must be reached with the Foundation of the Oppressed," although this government official also emphasized that "the Foundation of the Oppressed, as a partner of the government in the Tehran-North highway, has provided appropriate plans for the completion of this highway, and the government is satisfied with the Foundation's performance in this highway." The newspaper Noavaran described the Minister's statements as a "green light" for Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, recalling that in the early years of Hassan Rouhani's government, "the execution of the contract to assign the construction of sections 2 and 3 of the Tehran-North highway to Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters was halted." "Teaching Turkish and Kurdish languages in universities" is the headline of the newspaper Shahrvand, which quotes Hossein Tokali, senior advisor to the Organization for Educational Assessment and Training, about "the possibility for candidates to select majors for registration in Turkish and Kurdish language and literature programs at the undergraduate level." It states: "In the 95 national exam booklet, candidates can register in the fields of Turkish and Kurdish language and literature at the undergraduate level and the type of national selection." Elnaz Mohammadi, in a report for the newspaper Shahrvand, describes the establishment and acceptance of students in the undergraduate program of Azerbaijani Turkish and Kurdish language and literature as part of Hassan Rouhani's electoral promise that has now been realized, writing: "Students and schoolchildren interested in studying in Kurdish and Turkish language programs, who just three years ago had to go through great efforts to hold small workshops for teaching these languages, never imagined that a day would come when Kurdish and Turkish language education would become a university major and that a new semester would arrive where they could easily sit at desks and study Kurdish and Turkish languages." "Forty days have passed, and we are still waiting" is the title of a note by Bahman Kiarostami in the newspaper Shargh, criticizing that the Medical System Organization calculates the "value of medical malpractice as a percentage of the full blood money of a human being" and announces it as a penalty for negligent doctors, stating: "We are still waiting to hear the opinions of the esteemed members of the commission reviewing the case in the Medical System Organization regarding the possible negligence or fault and to know the percentage of full blood money in this case. Today, a week has passed since Journalist Day, a week remains until Physician Day, and 40 days have passed since the death of Abbas Kiarostami. That’s it." Several newspapers dedicated their front-page photos on Saturday to Kianoush Rostami, Iran's first gold medalist at the Rio Olympics. The newspaper Iran, next to a photo of Rostami, wrote: "The first gold medal of the Iranian caravan was achieved in weightlifting." This newspaper also reported on "the wave of support for Rajabi after unprecedented insults from television." The newspaper Tejarat also published a photo of Kianoush Rostami and the Iranian volleyball team, stating: "Rostami won gold, volleyball reached the quarter-finals." Meanwhile, the newspaper Javan, alongside its front-page photo dedicated to Kianoush Rostami, wrote: "The first Olympic gold is dedicated to the martyrs of the defenders of the shrine," and the newspaper Resalat also headlined "The first gold of Iran in the Olympics" quoting him as saying: "We will not allow the blood of the martyrs to be wasted." The newspaper Arman dedicated its front page to Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, quoting the Minister of Interior as saying: "Arrests and detentions discourage the public." The Minister of Interior, referring to the fact that "last year we witnessed many arrests and detentions," emphasized that "in the area of promoting virtue and preventing vice, the police should be the last resort." In this context, the former president wrote another letter, signing six cooperation documents between Rouhani and Aliyev, the issue of Hassan Rouhani's disqualification in the next term, changing the battlefield for "proxy fighters"; the war against the people in the streets of Iran, the first paragraph; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalizing Iranian society, the passing of the last representative of Mossad in Tehran amid the Iran crisis.