Hamid Baqaei Released on Bail

Fars News Agency reported on Wednesday, July 25, that Hamid Baqaei, the Deputy President of Iran in the tenth government, has been released on bail. According to reports, he was released on a bail of 20 billion tomans, and the government-affiliated website 'Dolat Bahar', close to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stated that 'the supporters of Dr. Ahmadinejad provided the necessary bail for Baqaei's release.' It was previously announced that the bail set for his release was 50 billion tomans. According to Fars, Baqaei's wife has also confirmed the news of his release. A day before this news, it was reported that Baqaei was transferred from prison to a hospital in Tehran due to 'poor physical condition.' Meanwhile, agents prevented former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from entering the hospital to visit Baqaei. According to ILNA, Ahmadinejad went to Baqaei's hospital at Baqiyatallah but was denied entry by hospital officials, citing that it was not visiting hours and that patients were resting. The websites 'Dolat Bahar' and the IRIB-affiliated Al-Alam network also published video footage showing agents preventing Ahmadinejad from entering the hospital. In these videos, Ahmadinejad is seen talking to individuals who appear to be agents present there, but they are trying to dissuade him from entering the hospital. Yesterday, Ali Asghar Hosseini, Baqaei's lawyer, stated: 'Considering that some news sources have reported the acceptance of the 20 billion toman bail and the release of my client Mr. Hamid Baqaei within the next hour, it should be clarified that my client's bail was provided by honorable and noble people and submitted to the prosecutor's office, and it is in the process of legal and administrative formalities, but we have not yet received any news regarding his release.' According to ILNA, Hosseini added: 'My client has been transferred to the hospital due to poor physical condition, and there is no news about his latest status.' Ali Akbar Javanfekr had previously stated on July 9 that Baqaei was arrested in front of his house by the order of his former case investigator, and after the 50 billion toman bail was set in the prosecutor's office and not provided, he was imprisoned. Javanfekr later announced on July 13 that Baqaei had gone on a hunger strike in protest of his 'illegal' detention. Baqaei had previously been arrested in June 2015 on charges of 'embezzlement' and was released in December of that year. Baqaei, along with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had run for the presidential elections in 2017, but the Guardian Council rejected their qualifications. In this context, the Tehran Prosecutor's Office warned against 'any unprofessional comments' regarding Baqaei's case. Javanfekr: Baqaei went on hunger strike in protest of illegal detention. A member of the Hope faction in Parliament stated: seven ministers should not be in the next government. Ahmadinejad protested against Baqaei's 'illegal' detention and called it a 'great injustice.' Ahmadinejad accused the spokesperson of the judiciary of 'disturbing public opinion and spreading falsehoods.'