Government to Sue 'Insulters' of the President in Special Clerical Court

The legal deputy of the Iranian president announced that the government will file a complaint against several clerics who have recently insulted Hassan Rouhani. According to ISNA news agency, Majid Ansari stated in a press conference on Tuesday, August 9, that he has emphasized to relevant units that they must definitely file a complaint in the special clerical court, as there should be no sense of lawlessness in the country. He stressed that some individuals and media should not have 'immunity beyond the law,' as this would lead to chaos in society. Ansari added, 'Unfortunately, unethical behavior at the highest levels of the country began during a period that we have witnessed these behaviors since the election debates.' One day before Ansari's remarks, Eshaq Jahangiri, the first vice president of Iran, called for the judiciary to address the 'open' insults to Hassan Rouhani and reported that the legal deputy of the president had been instructed to pursue this matter with the judiciary. Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, described Hassan Rouhani as a 'naive' person who believes that Iran has gained dignity through the nuclear agreement. Additionally, Hamid Rouhani, a hardline cleric, called for Rouhani to be tried for 'treason against the country and lies' due to his actions in the Vienna nuclear agreement. In recent months, attacks from individuals close to the Supreme Leader against Rouhani and his government have increased, with some conservative media suggesting that Rouhani's presidency is a temporary phase. Meanwhile, Ansari stated, 'Those who have saddled the election horse today and are racing in the field of immorality must return to the field of ethics and respect the law.' In recent months, some figures and media close to the Revolutionary Guards have accused Hossein Fereydoun, Rouhani's brother, of economic corruption. For instance, Hossein Shariatmadari, the representative of the Supreme Leader in Kayhan newspaper, implicitly called for Rouhani to deal with his brother due to economic corruption. Previously, following the arrest of Ali Rostgari, the former CEO of Bank Mellat, several media affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards and Mousa Ghazanfarabadi, the head of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, accused Fereydoun of having 'connections' with a 'banking corruption network.' Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman, on June 15, reacted to reports against Rouhani's government, including 'multi-hundred-million salaries' of several managers, stating that there is a 'think tank' that, according to him, was formed with 'political motives' against the government and 'determines what should happen every Saturday.'