Cancellation of Motahari's Speech and Closure of Reformists' Office in Mashhad by Prosecutor's Order

According to reports from Iranian news agencies, the speech of Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, in Mashhad was canceled by the order of the city's prosecutor, and the office of the Advisory Council of Reformists, which organized the event, has also been sealed. Meanwhile, the Borna news agency reported unspecified 'clashes' between some participants at the event and security forces and plainclothes agents. The state news agency IRNA reported that the Arbaeen ceremony, which was supposed to take place on Sunday morning, November 30, with a speech by Ali Motahari, was canceled by the prosecutor of Mashhad. According to this news agency, a 'significant crowd' that had gathered in front of the Sapko Hall in Mashhad was ordered to leave by security forces. Batool Ghandami, the Secretary-General of the Advisory Council of Reformists in Razavi Khorasan, also reported that the prosecutor of Mashhad requested the cancellation of the speech in a letter to the commander of the city's police. Ghandami stated that the Advisory Council was informed orally and 'without any written notification' by the Mashhad governor's office and the Razavi Khorasan governorate at 3 PM on Saturday about the cancellation order. She added that following this, the speech venue was moved from Razi Hall to Sapko Hall with permission from the governor's office, but permission to hold the Arbaeen ceremony at this location was also denied. Meanwhile, Borna news agency reported that the office of the Advisory Council of Reformists in Razavi Khorasan was sealed due to inviting Mr. Motahari. Amir Sheibani, a member of this council, stated in an interview that the prosecutor's order to prevent Mr. Motahari's speech and seal the reformist group's office 'could create ambiguities for society.' The prevention of Motahari's speech has drawn reactions from some members of Parliament and political activists. For instance, Mahmoud Sadqi, a representative from Tehran, tweeted that due to the 'delay' of the Razavi Khorasan governorate in this matter and the 'passivity' of the Ministry of Interior in similar cases, the impeachment of the Minister of Interior is the 'most appropriate' response from Parliament. According to ILNA news agency, Fatemeh Saidi, a representative from Tehran, also demanded that the Minister of Interior and officials from Razavi Khorasan explain 'what has happened in this province that the government is so submissive to pressures in Mashhad.' Abdul Karim Hasanzadeh, a member of the Parliament's presidium, also tweeted, 'Is the speech of the Deputy Speaker of Parliament treated like a concert that was canceled in Mashhad?' Meanwhile, Abdullah Ramadanzadeh, spokesman for Mohammad Khatami's government, also tweeted whether Razavi Khorasan 'intends to separate from Iran? Previously, the Ministry of Culture was restricted, and now the Ministry of Interior.' Following the opposition of the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad and judicial officials in Razavi Khorasan to holding music concerts in the city, Ali Jannati, the then Minister of Culture, announced that music performances would not take place in this city. The opposition to concerts and the comprehensive pressures on the Minister of Culture ultimately led to Ali Jannati's resignation, and Hassan Rouhani accepted this resignation, proposing Reza Salehi Amiri as the new Minister of Culture to the Parliament, which granted him a vote of confidence. Ahmad Alamolhoda, the representative of the Supreme Leader in Razavi Khorasan and Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, has previously protested against Ali Motahari's statements multiple times. Alamolhoda has also previously described Motahari as a 'non-value and deviant element' and those who attacked him in Shiraz as 'value-oriented people.' Ali Motahari, who traveled to Shiraz on March 9, 2015, to give a speech at Shiraz University, was 'attacked and beaten by plainclothes forces' at the airport and ultimately forced to return to Tehran. Motahari has previously implied that the attackers and their 'commanders' were from the Basij and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In recent years, some of Motahari's positions, including his call for the lifting of the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, two candidates who protested the results of the 2009 presidential election, have drawn protests from supporters of the Supreme Leader. In recent years, many speeches by reformist or critical figures of the Islamic Republic have been attacked, and these speeches have remained unfinished. Some of these speeches have also been canceled before they were held, such as the speech of Mohammad Kianoush Rad, a representative from Ahvaz in the sixth Parliament, which was supposed to take place on November 10 at Chamran University in Ahvaz but was canceled by the Security Council of Khuzestan Province. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesman for the judiciary, last year only recommended that speeches that might provoke reactions from certain groups and 'disturb the atmosphere' should not be held at all.