Government Spokesman's Reaction to Deputy Chief Justice: Ejei's Remarks Stem from Fatigue and Pressure of Commitments

The statements made by Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the Deputy Chief Justice, regarding the relationship between the Minister of Intelligence and the detained managers of Telegram channels, have elicited a response. The office of the spokesperson for the eleventh government has stated that Mr. Mohseni Ejei made these remarks due to 'fatigue and pressure of commitments.' Following the arrest of several managers of Telegram channels and media activists in the last month of the previous year, officials from Hassan Rouhani's government criticized this action. Mahmoud Alavi, the Minister of Intelligence, also stated that the government has opposed these arrests from the beginning. Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Justice and spokesperson said on Wednesday that the charge against the detained managers of the Telegram channels is the publication of 'anti-security' content. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei noted that the Minister of Intelligence is not a 'competent authority to determine if someone has committed a crime,' adding that 'regarding this specific case, there are matters concerning the Minister of Intelligence himself, which naturally he cannot comment on or prepare a report.' These remarks by Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei prompted a reaction from Mahmoud Alavi, who said on Wednesday, 'I do not recognize any crime for the admins that I would be an accomplice to; it seems they are my accomplices.' According to IRNA, Mahmoud Alavi further added, 'Defending the government is not a small crime.' In addition to Mahmoud Alavi, the office of Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the spokesperson for Rouhani's government, also reacted to the statements of the Deputy Chief Justice regarding the arrests of some Telegram channel 'admins' and their connection to the Minister of Intelligence. The statement from the office of the eleventh government spokesperson mentioned that it would have been more appropriate for the spokesperson of the judiciary to 'instead of undermining the sincere struggle' of intelligence forces, particularly the Minister of Intelligence, 'to refer to the evidentiary aspect in defense of the respect of this service-oriented entity for citizen rights and social security.' The office of Mohammad Baqer Nobakht added, 'It seems that such statements stem from the fatigue and pressure of commitments and actions of the respected spokesperson of the judiciary, and certainly, he will also pay attention to the necessity of respecting the dignity of the country's powers.' Despite the arrests of Telegram channel managers and media activists in the last week of Esfand 1395, further details regarding these arrests and the authority behind them have not yet been published. Previously, several government officials and some members of the reformist faction in the parliament, known as the 'Hope Faction,' reacted to these arrests and linked them to the 1396 presidential election. Additionally, Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative from Tehran in the parliament, wrote a letter to Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, on 28 Esfand 1395, stating that the arrest of managers of several political Telegram channels has 'sparked a wave of concern' regarding the 'commitment' to the promise of non-interference by this institution in the elections. In this context, four parliament representatives urged Rouhani to be accountable regarding the recent arrests, expressed doubts about the Revolutionary Guard's neutrality in the elections following the recent arrests, requested the release of media activists from Larijani, and called for the establishment of an election headquarters in the Ministry of Intelligence to prevent 'destructive actions.'