Deputy of the Judiciary: A New Sedition Has Started Under the Cover of 'Corruption'

Hamid Shahriyari, the Deputy of the Judiciary, stated on Wednesday, December 8, that 'a new sedition has started under the slogan and cover of 'corruption.' In an interview with the Mizan news agency, Shahriyari explained that 'enemies of the Islamic Revolution want to portray corruption in the minds of the people as being present in all levels of officials and among all leaders of the system.' He added: 'The enemies... constantly repeat the word and cover of corruption in moral and financial areas, frequently mentioning thousands of billions. The human mind, especially the minds of the general public, tends to believe that when they hear a concept repeatedly, there must be some truth to it, even if it is not entirely accurate.' The term 'sedition' was used by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, to describe protests against the results of the tenth presidential election in Iran, and since then, it has been widely used by his supporters. Shahriyari further stated: 'The enemies' targeting is such that when they see they cannot aim at the top of the pyramid or it is currently not possible, they target the personalities and second-tier levels of the system, all with the intent of tarnishing the image and popularity of the top-ranking and the apex of the system.' In recent weeks and months, the widespread publication of news and reports regarding hidden accounts of the head of the Judiciary with investments worth tens of billions of tomans, corruption in Tehran's municipality, and allegations of sexual assault against Saeed Tusi, a famous Quran reciter, has placed the Judiciary under heavy accusations. In this context, reports related to bank accounts worth hundreds of billions of tomans and their monthly profits have received widespread attention in Iran. Meanwhile, besides the head of the Judiciary, his two other brothers, Fazel and Mohammad Javad, are also facing allegations of economic and financial corruption. In this regard, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesperson for the Judiciary, stated on Tuesday that Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of the Judiciary, has ordered an investigation into the cases of his two brothers. Fazel Larijani, the brother of the heads of the legislative and judicial branches, was accused of 'extortion and rent-seeking' by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the then President of Iran, in February 2013. However, Hamid Shahriyari, the Deputy of the Judiciary, stated that the 'personal and social lives' of the Amoli Larijani brothers 'have nothing to do with him.' He praised the head of the Judiciary, adding that the case of the bank accounts 'does not pertain to Ayatollah Amoli' and 'all belong to the Judiciary and are entirely registered in the Judiciary's accounts.' Previously, Ali Larijani, the head of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and brother of the head of the Judiciary, also stated that the controversial accounts are not in the name of the head of the Judiciary but are in the name of the Judiciary itself. The spokesperson for the Judiciary also described the attribution of the Judiciary's bank accounts to Sadegh Larijani as an attack by 'corrupt individuals and infiltrators' against the Judiciary. In this context, Hezbollah has called for the harshest punishment for Saeed Tusi and the trial of his supporters. Yashar Soltani, the whistleblower of municipal misconduct, was released on bail. Two members of parliament have called for clarification of the personal accounts of the head of the Judiciary. A parliament member responded to Sadegh Larijani: 'Corruption has spread in all institutions.' Ahmad Montazeri was sentenced to '21 years in prison.' The Tehran prosecutor made a jab at Safdar Hosseini: 'We have summoned the reserve of the revolution as well.'