Iran's Deputy Interior Minister: Bail Issued for 9 Individuals Involved in the Attack on Motahari

The Deputy Minister of Interior for Security in Iran announced that 9 individuals involved in the attack on Ali Motahari, a representative from Tehran, have been summoned and detained by the judiciary of Fars Province, and bail has been issued for them. According to the state news agency IRNA, Hossein Zolfaqari stated on Tuesday, April 10, that 'the final report of the Shiraz incident... has been prepared and will be presented to the Minister of Interior and the head of the National Security Council, and will also be submitted to officials in the coming days.' Zolfaqari mentioned that the report addresses the contexts and factors that contributed to the occurrence of 'such incidents' and has identified not only the 'assailants' against Motahari but also other 'factors and elements' that played a role in the incident or failed to fulfill their legal responsibilities. On March 18, Motahari was assaulted by plainclothes forces at the Shiraz airport during a visit for a speech at Shiraz University, forcing him to return to Tehran. Previously, differing statements about the assailants had been made by principlist political figures. Mohiuddin Haeri Shirazi, a member of the Assembly of Experts and former Friday Prayer Imam of Shiraz, claimed that the attackers were 'not thugs, but devoted young believers ready to sacrifice for Islam.' Meanwhile, Hamid Rasai, a member of the Stability Front in Parliament, stated, 'What happened in Shiraz was not the work of Hezbollah youth, and if anyone claims this, they are lying, just like those who preach moderation.' On March 19, Motahari remarked about his assailants, 'It seemed there was an accepted principle; these individuals, equipped with heavy motorcycles and pepper spray, indicated where they received their orders from.' 'Heavy motorcycles' are typically used by military and Basij forces in Iran. Additionally, Reza Yousufian, a former representative from Shiraz, in a letter to Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, the Health Minister in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, implicitly linked the attackers to those who assaulted the Qoba Mosque associated with Ayatollah Ali Mohammad Dashtgheib in 2009 and to protesters against speeches by some reformist figures in Shiraz. In 2009, several 'plainclothes forces' attacked the Qoba Mosque during 'Quds Day' in Iran, which was the site of activities by Ayatollah Dashtgheib, a critic of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Reports indicate that following this attack, several of Ayatollah Dashtgheib's students were imprisoned, banned from cultural activities, and exiled. One of the attackers was also sentenced to imprisonment, flogging, and exile. According to the website 'Kalemeh,' close to Mir Hossein Mousavi, Yousufian wrote in this letter: 'I do not refer to distant times, including the invasion of the Qoba Mosque or the Mongol-like assault on Ayatollah Dashtgheib's home and family, but rather to the prevention of Dr. Koulai's speech, attempts to disrupt Dr. Aref's speech, threats against Ms. Ebtekar, and the chaos and threats during the speeches of Hojjatoleslam Younesi and Ghafari in Shiraz in recent years, which have been overlooked.' Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, in a previous letter criticizing Motahari's remarks about the Shiraz Friday Prayer Imam's role in the attack, wrote: 'During the Qoba Mosque incident... many hands tried to incite chaos in Shiraz, which was thwarted by the wise management of the representative of the Supreme Leader in the province... Ayatollah Imani, who foiled the group's schemes to create conflict and provide excuses for the counter-revolution, which was taking advantage of a group of faithful but emotional youths.' On March 22, Asadollah Imani, the Friday Prayer Imam of Shiraz, implicitly associated Motahari with 'tyranny' and 'sedition,' stating, 'If someone breaks the sanctity of the Guardianship and the Experts, they should expect that others will not respect their sanctity.' Following these remarks, Motahari identified the Shiraz Friday Prayer Imam as the primary suspect in the attack against him.