I Cannot Say, I Will Not Answer

Officials of the Islamic Republic typically do not interview or evade questions when they know they cannot answer. For instance, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president, often responded to questions with questions. The Supreme Leader has not answered a single question from a journalist since he assumed leadership over the past three decades. In many cases, the response from Islamic Republic officials to journalists' inquiries ultimately leads to "I cannot say" or "I will not answer" or "I am unable to respond." Below are some instances of this type of behavior in response to public inquiries. Who or which organization imports Marlboro cigarettes? According to some estimates, four billion Marlboro cigarettes are consumed annually in Iran. However, when Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, the Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, first mentioned the establishment of a Philip Morris (the manufacturer of these cigarettes) representative office in Iran a year ago, he faced anger from many, including Nader Qazipour, a member of the Industries Commission of Parliament, who said if the minister insisted on importing Marlboro, he would be impeached. Some members of Parliament prevented the establishment of its representative office in Iran by accusing the company of being Zionist. When Hossein Tala, the former head of the Tobacco Company and a member of the ninth Parliament, was confronted in an interview with questions regarding the phenomenon of Marlboro cigarette smuggling and the beneficiaries of this lucrative trade, he responded with phrases like "I cannot say," "I do not want to get into this matter. I have information that I cannot disclose," and "the reason for stopping this issue [the establishment of the legal representative office] was something else that I cannot state." What individuals and institutions in Iran have so much power that people cannot speak about them? Why was Mehdi Hashemi tried? Mohseni Ejei, the Attorney General, said regarding Mehdi Hashemi's charges: "We are unable to present the accusations of an individual who has not yet been tried." In fact, the norm in free societies and according to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic is to inform the individual and their lawyers of the charges before the trial. The public in Iran still does not properly know what charges Mehdi Hashemi was tried for, even after the trial and sentencing. What happened with the land grabbing by the Endowments Organization? Mohammad Ali Pourmokhtar, a member of Parliament, announced that the Endowments and Charity Affairs Organization has become a major land grabber. According to him, the Endowments first claims the endowment status of natural resource lands and then rents some of them out and issues construction permits for them. Ali Mohammadi, the representative of the Supreme Leader and head of the Endowments and Charity Affairs Organization, in response to a question regarding the organization’s reaction to this member of Parliament's remarks, said: "I will not respond to the statements of the head of the 90th Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly." Why was Jason Rezaian arrested? Hamid Rasai, the deputy head of the 90th Commission of Parliament, expressed surprise at the stance of one of the U.S. State Department officials regarding Jason Rezaian, saying: "The important question is who supported Jason Rezaian that he was able to visit sensitive points in our country as a Washington Post reporter? Although Rezaian published semi-positive reports after his visits in the Washington Post, the main goal of these visits was not the published reports... The main goal of Rezaian's presence in Iran was to design and plan for more pressure on our industries in various sectors... I cannot refer to the existing details any further, but ultimately we are waiting for Rezaian's confessions — which contain important points — to be broadcast by the state television." His tone indicates that he is aware of the details and is involved in the confession-taking process, but he does not directly answer any questions about Rezaian and refers the audience to the forced confessions. Journalists are seen as public relations staff for the Islamic Republic's managers, not as inquisitive individuals. Why are some officials arrested or tried? Both during the Karbaschi era and the Qalibaf era, some mayors of Tehran regions have been arrested. However, judicial officials have refrained from stating their charges. During Karbaschi's time, they only wanted to fabricate cases through confession-taking and torture. During Qalibaf's time, it is clear that the goal was to cover up the corruption of officials. When the head of the Tehran judiciary was asked about the arrest of the mayor of Region 21, he said: "Because you mentioned the name and position of this individual, I am unable to respond." The head of the judiciary also said in response to a question regarding the case of Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Ahmadinejad's deputy: "When you mention a name, I am unable to respond." Why can mentioning someone's title prevent judicial officials from answering? Which law prohibits judicial officials from mentioning the charges against an arrested individual? Is this consideration applied to other defendants whom they call "security"? Thousands of unanswered questions can be added to the five questions posed or to several questions that have been asked but received no response. Officials of the Islamic Republic do not feel obligated to respond to the people because they do not derive their power from them. If the Supreme Leader asks them a question, they will certainly and quickly respond because they are directly and indirectly appointed by him. However, they know better than anyone else that their position is not related to the people's election, so they do not feel the need to maintain it through accountability.