Ejei Promised: There Will Be Action Against Fa'ezeh Hashemi

Following the threat from the head of Iran's judiciary regarding a potential 'decisive action' against Fa'ezeh Hashemi, daughter of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, due to her meeting with a Baha'i community leader in prison, the spokesperson for the judiciary also described her actions as 'ugly and disgraceful' and promised that she would be dealt with 'according to the law.' According to the state news agency IRNA, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the judiciary spokesperson, emphasized on Wednesday, May 29, that 'uglier than this act was that after all the condemnations and even after her father's admonitions, she did not apologize, which is truly regrettable.' He added: 'The judiciary pursues any crime as appropriate, and regarding this matter, it will act according to the law and what the law stipulates.' Sadeq Larijani, head of the judiciary, also stated on Monday, May 27, without mentioning Fa'ezeh Hashemi by name but referring to her meeting with a Baha'i community leader in prison, that she should feel 'ashamed' for her actions. Larijani threatened that if 'these violations reach criminal titles,' the judiciary would take 'decisive action' against it. Fariba Kamalabadi, a Baha'i community leader who was recently granted a few days of leave after years in prison, met with several of her former inmates, including Fa'ezeh Hashemi. Following this event, the Fars and Tasnim news agencies, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, published dozens of articles and interviews against Fa'ezeh Hashemi's actions in recent days. Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, a conservative cleric in Qom, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, head of the Basij Organization, and several other conservative figures have also strongly protested Fa'ezeh Hashemi's meeting with Fariba Kamalabadi. Meanwhile, according to Tasnim news agency, Ahmad Khatami, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran, described the meeting with Baha'is as a 'clear deviation.' He added: 'In fact, Baha'ism is not a religion, but a spy party. The world of imperialism has always supported this spy sect comprehensively.' Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran, also wrote on his Instagram page that contact with Baha'is 'does not have a humanitarian and human rights aspect but has a political aspect' and 'means signaling' to Britain and the United States. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, head of this council, stated in an interview with the Islamic Republic newspaper published on Monday, May 27, that his daughter 'made a serious mistake and must correct and compensate for it.' However, Fa'ezeh Hashemi told the Persian section of Euronews that she did not commit any wrongdoing and is not regretful. Fariba Kamalabadi, along with Jamaleddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeed Rezaei, Behrouz Tavakoli, Vahid Tizfahm, and Mahvash Sabet, were members of a group called 'Yaran' that was arrested in 2008. The 'Yaran' group was responsible for managing the Baha'i community in Iran. According to the European Baha'i community, about 300,000 Baha'is live in Iran, while the laws of the Islamic Republic do not recognize Baha'ism as a religion, and Baha'is in Iran are deprived of the right to education in universities and employment in government agencies. The Baha'i community claims that since the 1979 revolution, more than 200 Baha'is have been killed by the Iranian government, and thousands of Baha'is have been arrested and subjected to harassment. Meanwhile, Simin Fahandj, spokesperson for the Baha'i World Community, stated last winter that more than 80 Baha'is are imprisoned in Iran.