Former MP: Lack of Action Against Saeed Toosi and Reza Taqati Has Political Reasons

A former MP believes that the lack of action regarding the "sodomy" case of Saeed Toosi, a Quran reciter close to Ali Khamenei, and Reza Taqati, the director of the Culture and Islamic Guidance Department of Gilan Province, has political reasons. Bahram Parsayi, a representative from Shiraz in the 10th Parliament, told Iran Watch that the lack of action against Saeed Toosi and Reza Taqati is politically motivated. Regarding Saeed Toosi's case, he mentioned that there was a confidential file about Toosi in the 90th Article Commission, and the plaintiffs were private, but due to political reasons, the case was not addressed. He stated that those defending the accused identify with him. On Tuesday, the editor of the Telegram channel of Radio Gilan, which published documents related to the sexual scandal of Reza Taqati, the dismissed director of Gilan's Culture and Guidance Department, provided new details about the documents and information related to this issue to the Persian section of Voice of America. Following reports about the sexual relationship of the director of the Culture and Islamic Guidance Department of Gilan with a man in recent days, Reza Taqati was dismissed from his position. The editor of the Telegram channel that first published the mentioned video emphasized in an exclusive interview with Voice of America that Reza Taqati had multiple sexual partners who have been arrested, and one of them provided the video to him. Peyman Behboudi, the editor of the Telegram channel of Radio Gilan, also announced that the videos were received by this media "three weeks ago" before their release, and a portion of "13 videos" was published by group decision. He emphasized that the disclosure of the video related to the sexual scandal of the former director of the Culture and Guidance Department of Gilan was aimed at "enlightening the people" and was published under conditions where the Islamic Republic "determines the fate" in the "most private matters" of citizens' lives, with the goal of making people familiar with officials who "act this way" and "consider themselves above the law." Meanwhile, in recent days, the Fars news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, accused theater actor Mohammad Sadeghi of "promoting homosexuality" without providing any evidence, while the public relations office of the Culture and Guidance Department of Gilan announced that the file of the former director of this organization has been sent to the judiciary "without any prejudice or damage to the dignity and reputation of individuals" for "thorough investigation." In similar cases where government affiliates have been accused of sexual abuse of individuals and even children, the accused have generally managed to evade judicial punishment. Mohammad Gandom Nejad Toosi, known as Saeed Toosi, a Quran reciter close to the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was acquitted in 2017 despite several private plaintiffs accusing him of "sexual harassment" of children. The significant role of the head of Raisi's office in acquitting Saeed Toosi has been highlighted. The whistleblower of the Taqati scandal told Voice of America: he had multiple sexual partners who have been arrested. The saga of "Taqati" continues; the director of "Radio Gilan" says they have approached his family. Reactions to the sexual scandal of the Gilan director of culture; a member of parliament: it is a disaster. The sexual scandal of an Islamic Republic cultural official; the issue was reviewed "with the presence of security agencies." The suspension of activities of journalists exposing the sexual abuse of child footballers in Mashhad. The judiciary's reaction to the report of a teacher's abuse of schoolgirls: it was not rape, it was "sexual harassment." The plaintiff in Saeed Toosi's case addressed Ebrahim Raisi: if you are truthful about justice, deal with this case fairly. Conflicting statements from Iranian officials regarding Saeed Toosi's case; the formation of a new case for the accused reciter of rape has been denied. A Tehran MP called for a review of Saeed Toosi's case, the reciter accused of rape.