Government's Reaction to Continued Financial Allegations Against President's Brother

Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman, on Tuesday, January 25, addressed the financial corruption allegations against Hossein Fereydoun, the President's brother, stating that "accusations without proof are not correct and have a negative impact on public opinion." According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), in response to the question of whether the government intends to respond to the allegations against Hossein Fereydoun, he raised the issue: "Previously, Babak Zanjani was referred to as 'B. Z.' but now Hossein Fereydoun's name is explicitly mentioned." Mohammad Baqer Nobakht added: "The judiciary is independent and has sufficient motivation to deal with anyone who commits a crime, and there is no need for representatives' correspondence to exert pressure." The government spokesman emphasized that "rest assured the judiciary will address all cases" and added, "When the court rules that these allegations are unfounded, what response will we give to public opinion?" Earlier, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the judiciary spokesman, on Sunday, January 23, announced that "the connection between Rasoul Daniyalzadeh and Hossein Fereydoun is quite evident," but stated that the nature of this connection and their actions is unclear and that we must await the results of the investigation into this case. He added: "I personally agree and have agreed that some defendants should be tried publicly, and the media should be allowed to publish photos, accusations, and court details." According to reports from some websites in Iran, Rasoul Daniyalzadeh, one of the bank debtors, was arrested on January 14. Some principlist members of parliament have accused the brother of Hassan Rouhani of being connected to Mr. Daniyalzadeh. In this regard, Hossein Ali Hajideligani, a representative from Shahinshahr, told Fars News Agency on Saturday, January 21, that Rasoul Daniyalzadeh "gifted a house worth 16 billion tomans to Hossein Fereydoun's wife." Ahmad Salek, a representative from Isfahan, also stated on Tuesday to Tasnim News Agency: "The judiciary must deal with the President's brother without leniency." He emphasized that if the connection between Mr. Hossein Fereydoun and Rasoul Daniyalzadeh and Shabdoost Malamiri is proven, he should be tried as the primary defendant, adding: "A group of representatives also issued a warning to the President, requesting explanations regarding Hossein Fereydoun's connections with some major bank debtors, including Rasoul Daniyalzadeh, who was recently arrested." Previously, 46 principlist representatives of parliament on January 5 accused Hossein Fereydoun of "economic corruption" and requested that the Iranian President introduce his brother to the judiciary. In this context, Mohammad Ismail Saeidi, a representative from Tabriz, stated on Tuesday, January 24, to Tasnim that "we sent a document to the President showing that Daniyalzadeh bought a residential unit in 2014 in the name of Mr. Fereydoun's wife for 14 billion tomans in northern Tehran." Earlier, Javad Karimi Qodosi and Hossein Ali Hajideligani, two signatories of this letter, had called for the arrest of Hossein Fereydoun and also Mohammad Nahavandian, the head of Hassan Rouhani's office, in an interview with Basij News website. In response, Hossein Fereydoun announced that he had filed complaints against several representatives who made the accusations of "financial corruption" against him. Meanwhile, Mohammad Javad Haqshenas, a member of the central council of the National Trust Party, in an article on the news site "Ghanoun," called for clarification of Hossein Fereydoun's relationship with Hassan Rouhani's government, writing: "There is no reason for the government to place itself in a position that questions its legitimacy both socially and legally in public opinion." Mr. Haqshenas, referring to the need for the government to respond to ambiguities, wrote that issues related to Hossein Fereydoun "initially appeared in cyberspace and then in second-tier media" and "over time, were announced in official media and platforms, gradually taking on a more serious tone." This political activist predicted that this issue "could negatively affect public opinion and Hassan Rouhani's vote basket as the election approaches." The presidential election is scheduled to be held on May 18.