Hamid Baghaei Calls for Resignation of Iranian Judiciary Officials

In response to the statements made by the Attorney General of Iran regarding the arrest of the editor-in-chief of the 'Dolat Bahar' website, Hamid Baghaei, a former deputy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, urged judiciary officials to resign due to their failure to adhere to 'law, Sharia, and ethics.' Meanwhile, Mohsen Rafighdoost, a close figure to the Islamic Coalition Party, stated in an interview that they would soon reach out to Ahmadinejad, and that the judiciary is 'completing his case.' On Sunday, the Attorney General, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, described Ahmadinejad's presidency, particularly the second term, as a 'collection of law evasion' and accused him of 'lying.' He addressed the former president, saying, 'You who managed the country for eight years and have now become the opposition to the judiciary, if you have suggestions, please present them.' In reaction, Baghaei wrote on Twitter that 'our suggestion to you is that since you do not respect the law, Sharia, and ethics towards the people, it is better for you to resign.' He also claimed that Montazeri's animosity towards Ahmadinejad stemmed from Ahmadinejad's opposition to his nomination as Minister of Justice in the eleventh government. Baghaei further demanded an explanation from the Tehran prosecutor regarding the rent payments for shops in the Tehran prosecutor's office building. Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, along with the Attorney General, rejected Ahmadinejad's criticisms regarding the judiciary's handling of the Sattar Beheshti case and his failure to visit prisons, labeling Ahmadinejad's claims about forming cases against his allies due to criticism of the judiciary as 'baseless.' Ahmadinejad, in a video interview on December 2, accused the judiciary of 'violating the constitution' and stated that 'if we were to have a judiciary dictatorship, we would not have revolted.' He claimed he had a confrontation with the Chief Justice regarding Sattar Beheshti, asserting, 'I almost fought with him, I shouted at them! I said you committed a crime.' Ahmadinejad also criticized the formation of new cases against Baghaei and his associates for their criticisms of judiciary officials. Ahmadinejad's office accused the Tehran prosecutor of 'illegal interference' and 'disregarding legal foundations, constitutional freedoms, and citizens' rights,' obstructing the release of Mohammad Hossein Heydari, the editor of the Dolat Bahar website. According to the statement, after informing Heydari of the charges, the investigator agreed to a bail of 100 million tomans, but the Tehran prosecutor insisted on his temporary detention. Ahmadinejad's office emphasized that 'despite numerous legal and human rights objections to the behavior of judicial officials regarding certain fabricated cases against specific individuals, unfortunately, we witness the emergence of a new type of these behaviors and the deliberate repetition of illegal decisions in the judiciary every day.' Mohammad Hossein Heydari was arrested on November 21 after visiting the Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office, and a bail of 100 million tomans was issued for him. Ahmadinejad's and his allies' severe criticisms of the judiciary began following the formation of a court for Hamid Baghaei and the summons of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei. On December 4, Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff, called the judiciary 'oppressive and deviant' and challenged its officials to a debate, stating that they 'lack the courage and audacity' for such an action. Previously, reports had emerged about the issuance of rulings against Ahmadinejad in the Court of Audit, and on November 21, Fazel Mousavi, a representative from Zanjan in the eighth parliament, announced that the Court of Audit had issued '11 definitive rulings' against Ahmadinejad. The Court of Audit, a supervisory body affiliated with the parliament, can issue rulings such as 'dismissal from public service' against government managers. Ahmadinejad has had a case open against him in the judiciary for several years, but his court hearings have been postponed multiple times and ultimately never held. Meanwhile, Mohsen Rafighdoost stated in an interview that 'they will soon reach out to Ahmadinejad, and the judiciary is completing his case.' He emphasized that Ahmadinejad 'is seeking fame and recognition through this behavior and actions.' While conservative figures have supported the judiciary against Ahmadinejad, some reformist figures have questioned why he remained silent during his presidency regarding the judiciary's actions and the suppression of protests in 2009.