Hamid Baghaei and Two Close Associates of Ahmadinejad Sit in Protest at Abdul Azim Shrine

Hamid Baghaei, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's executive assistant during his presidency, announced on Tuesday, December 26, that he would once again sit in protest at the Abdul Azim Shrine in Shahr-e Rey with several close associates of Ahmadinejad in opposition to the Islamic Republic's judiciary. In his Telegram channel, Baghaei referred to the reason for this decision as 'illegal and bullying actions, threats, and open hostility... a sham court.' While the announcement did not mention the names of the protesters, a photo attached to the post showed Ali Akbar Javanfekr, Ahmadinejad's advisor, and Habibollah Joz' Khorasani, the former accountant of the presidency. The legal cases against these three individuals involve accusations, including financial allegations, which have led to severe verbal tensions between Ahmadinejad's associates and the judiciary. Among the accusations against Hamid Baghaei are the payment of bonuses to 16 government members and collusion in contracts and transactions of five companies. Other charges against him include receiving several million dollars in currency from a revolutionary entity (the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and 'gifting coins to individuals,' for which the law stipulates a 15-year prison sentence. Baghaei has denied these accusations, deeming them illegal. Ahmadinejad's associates previously sat in protest at the Abdul Azim Shrine on November 15 but reported the end of their sit-in after four days due to the 'beating' of some protesters by 'plainclothes forces.' In their statement, these three Ahmadinejad government officials added that their sit-in was due to 'all possible avenues for seeking justice and addressing oppression and injustice' being closed. In his latest announcement regarding the decision for another sit-in, Hamid Baghaei wrote: 'Given the illegal and bullying actions, threats and open hostility, disregard for laws and regulations in issuing an unjust, illegitimate, and undocumented ruling by the sham court, the harsh security confrontations with media activists and supporters, attempts to imprison us by any means possible, and the judiciary's refusal to accept the arbitration of the elders, we are compelled, following the example of scholars and the oppressed of history, to protest against the oppressive behavior directed at us by Mr. Sadegh Larijani, and with supplication to the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), to once again sit in the shrine of Hazrat Abdul Azim Hassani (accepting the risks to our lives) to demand our rights and raise our cry of oppression to the ears of all.' He had previously stated that he was sentenced to '63 years in prison' due to his remarks about '63 personal bank accounts of Sadegh Larijani,' the head of the judiciary. Criticism from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his associates towards the judiciary has intensified following the formation of Hamid Baghaei's court and the summons of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff during his presidency, and they have used terms such as 'oppressor,' 'dictator,' and 'deviant' regarding judiciary officials in recent weeks. In response, the Attorney General and the judiciary spokesman have labeled Ahmadinejad as a 'liar' and a 'thug.' Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, in his latest video message on Telegram, continued his criticisms of the Islamic Republic's judiciary, stating that 'we are facing open oppression in the Islamic Republic' and accusing his opponents of 'remaining silent in the face of oppression in the name of religion.' Some of Ahmadinejad's critics question why he remained silent during his presidency regarding the judiciary's actions and the crackdowns of 2009. For instance, Saeed Mortazavi, a key figure in the Zahra Kazemi case and the Kahrizak detention center, was appointed by Ahmadinejad as the head of the Social Security Organization. However, he stated in a gathering of students that 'we did not know some issues. We really did not know and later became informed.' Ali Motahari, the deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament, has called for a public trial of former President Ahmadinejad and stated that he and his associates 'are not at the level' to be considered part of opposition groups.