Continued Controversy of Land Grabbing in Hirkan: MP Exposes Names of 65 Land Grabbers

In the ongoing land grabbing controversy in the Hirkan area of Gilan province, the representative of Ardabil and Sarein in the parliament announced on Wednesday that he has submitted the names of 65 land grabbers, including 'close relatives' of the representative from Astara, to the presidency. The representative from Astara had previously accused the Ardabil representative of the same charge. According to a report on Wednesday, August 28, by Fars News Agency, Kamelodin Pir-Mo’een, the representative from Ardabil, sent a list of 65 land grabbers from the Hirkan region in a letter to the first vice president of Hassan Rouhani, the president. The Ardabil representative also indicated that 'current and former representatives from Astara' in Gilan province have been involved in land grabbing and damaging the Hirkan area, threatening to continue his disclosures. This same MP had previously reported on August 23 that the first vice president of Hassan Rouhani had appointed a 'special inspector' to pursue a multi-billion dollar land grabbing case in Hirkan. In the latest meeting of Iran's Economic Corruption Combat Headquarters, a multi-billion dollar land grabbing case in 'Hirkan' in Gilan province was discussed, which implicated some former parliament members and ministers from the two governments of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Regarding the details of this case, Safar Naeimi Raz, the representative from Astara and a member of the National Security Commission in the parliament, stated in an interview published on Thursday, August 22, in the newspaper 'Aftab Yazd', that 'most of these land grabbers started during the tenure of one of the parliament members and subsequently, former government officials (ninth and tenth administrations) were brought into the Hirkan area by this representative.' Following the release of this information, the Tehran-based newspaper Shargh reported from the parliament's public session that Naeimi and Pir-Mo’een confronted each other, each accusing the other of theft. Kamelodin Pir-Mo’een shouted at Safar Naeimi Raz, accusing him of 'theft,' while Naeimi presented documents claiming to have evidence of land grabbing by Pir-Mo’een's relatives. The Shargh report also emphasized that Kamelodin Pir-Mo’een accused Naeimi of 'deflection and evasion from land grabbing,' stating, 'The representative from Astara aims to evade land grabbing through deflection.' Previously, Safar Naeimi Raz had mentioned on a television program last Friday regarding land grabbing in Hirkan, 'in the name of Kamelodin Pir-Mo’een's sister, brother, and accountant,' but Mr. Pir-Mo’een responded to this accusation by saying, 'I have never had an accountant by that name in my life, and I have now submitted my complaint and that of my brother to the judiciary and the committee investigating the misconduct of representatives.' On Wednesday, August 28, Mr. Pir-Mo’een also told Fars News Agency that 'if these names [65 individuals] are published through the media, the reputation of the northern representatives will suffer more than ours.' 'Hirkan' is the name of a summer village in the Astara County located in Gilan province, situated 30 kilometers from Astara. Hirkan consists of three villages: Lower Hirkan, Middle Hirkan, and Upper Hirkan, and its pass is one of the most important tourist attractions of this village, located on the communication route between Astara and Ardabil.