International Human Rights Campaign: Jahromi Interrogated Some Political Prisoners

The International Human Rights Campaign, in a report describing the "tainted records" of the Minister of Communications and Information Technology nominee, wrote that Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi had "responsibilities in the field of eavesdropping and surveillance" and was "in charge of interrogating some former political prisoners." This human rights organization added in a report published on Tuesday, August 14, that "at least five members of the Qeytarieh headquarters" affiliated with Mir Hossein Mousavi's 2009 election campaign were subjected to "technical interrogation" by Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi. According to this report, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, along with "a team of Ministry of Intelligence agents," was present at the residences of these individuals during their arrest and was responsible for "collecting computers, mobile phones, and other technology-related tools." Previously, in an interview with the Iran newspaper published on Sunday, August 13, he stated that he worked in the Ministry of Intelligence from 2005 to 2013 and defended his actions in this ministry. He noted that in 2005, he was a technical expert and in 2009, he was the director of communication systems security at the Regulatory Authority. Based on this interview, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi was transferred from the Ministry of Intelligence to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology at the request of Mahmoud Vaezi, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, in 2013. In another interview published on August 11 on the House of the Nation website, affiliated with the parliament, he spoke with "pride" about his background in "the technical infrastructure of eavesdropping equipment manufacturing." He stated that "the country needs eavesdropping" and said, "I did not have responsibility for eavesdropping during my tenure." According to the House of the Nation, he pointed out that there is a "law" regarding eavesdropping, adding, "The law was approved by the parliament, and in Article 150 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the eavesdropping organization is discussed, which states that the eavesdropping organization must be established in the general directorates of all judiciary offices, and its judge is also the head of the judiciary." The International Human Rights Campaign, in its report about Azari Jahromi's "tainted background," quoted a civil activist in Tehran: "Since 2009, eavesdropping has become a daily and normal issue to the extent that even for everyday conversations, people are forced to remove their mobile phone batteries or turn off their phones for precaution because there is a public belief that their conversations are being monitored. I even heard things during my interrogations that were exchanged only between me and another person, and no one could know the content of it except through eavesdropping." According to this campaign, during the years when Mr. Jahromi was responsible for eavesdropping equipment - between 2009 and 2013 during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's second presidential term - some political activists were arrested and imprisoned due to "illegal eavesdropping" of their conversations. According to Article 150 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the control of telecommunications (eavesdropping) of convicts is prohibited unless determined by the first court that the ruling is executed under or the judge of execution of sentences. Article 150 of the Criminal Procedure Code states that the control of individuals' telecommunications is prohibited unless it pertains to the internal and external security of the country or is deemed necessary for the discovery of crimes subject to clauses (a), (b), (c), and (d) of Article (302) of this law. In this case, action is taken with the consent of the Chief Justice of the province and with the determination of the duration and frequency of control. The control of telephone conversations of individuals and officials subject to Article (307) of this law is contingent upon the approval of the head of the judiciary, and this authority cannot be delegated to others. Note 1 - The conditions and qualities of telecommunications control are determined by the resolution of the Supreme National Security Council. Note 2 - The control of telecommunications of convicts is prohibited unless determined by the first court that the ruling is executed under or the judge of execution of sentences. Amir Rashidi, an internet access researcher at the Human Rights Campaign in Iran, previously stated regarding the responsibilities of the proposed Minister of Communications and Information Technology in the Ministry of Intelligence, as published by the House of the Nation news agency, that "he confirmed that he was responsible for the technical infrastructure and the manufacturing of eavesdropping equipment, which means that the tools used for spying and hacking were designed and built under his management. In other words, he is responsible for hacking and spying on users by producing such tools and providing them to Iranian security and judicial authorities." Amir Rashidi noted that "all governments in the world usually use such tools, but no one takes pride in them" and added, "Another very important point is that we are talking about a country that has no transparency in its judicial and security system. We are also discussing the period of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's second government, during which we know that a very large number of journalists, activists, and political, human rights, student, and women critics were arrested, imprisoned, and even tortured based on the eavesdropping and spying carried out by the tools produced by Mr. Jahromi." The International Human Rights Campaign also mentioned the use of "other eavesdropping methods" against some "critics of the hardline apparatus," including Ali Motahari, a member of parliament who, in a statement in June 2013 addressed to Ali Khamenei and Hassan Rouhani, reported finding eavesdropping equipment in his office. He called the eavesdropping from his office illegal. Previously, Elias Naderan, a former member of parliament, tweeted to Hassan Rouhani: "By appointing the technical deputy of the Ministry of Intelligence, whose inherent duty is eavesdropping and arrests, do you want to free the virtual space?" In response to this issue, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi tweeted: "The Ministry of Intelligence does not have a general department called eavesdropping. Political affairs are not pursued in the technical deputy." In recent days, there has been significant criticism of Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi on social media.