Iran's Ministry of Intelligence Complains Against a Conservative MP

Alireza Rahimi, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, announced that the Ministry of Intelligence has filed a complaint against Javad Karimi Qodosi, a conservative MP, for releasing a documentary about the presence of dual nationals in the country's diplomatic apparatus and accusing them of espionage. On Wednesday, January 2, he tweeted that the Ministry of Intelligence has accused Mr. Karimi Qodosi of 'distributing confidential content and false information.' Javad Karimi Qodosi, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament, presented a documentary during a session questioning Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Foreign Minister, claiming that some members of the Iranian delegation in nuclear negotiations with world powers are dual nationals and 'spies.' He also referred to a parliamentary resolution to investigate dual nationals, stating that 100 officials of the Islamic Republic have been listed, including 'Abdolrasool Dari Esfahani, a Canadian national and head of the monetary, banking, and nuclear negotiation committee.' Mr. Karimi Qodosi further described Abdolrasool Dari Esfahani and 'some others' from the Iranian negotiating team as 'graduates of British universities and specialists in espionage,' and objected to Mohammad Javad Zarif for calling Mr. Dari a 'patriot.' Abdolrasool Dari Esfahani was responsible for the banking affairs of Iran's nuclear negotiating team with world powers. He had previously received a third-class service medal from Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, but was arrested by the Intelligence Protection Organization of the IRGC on espionage charges. Although the Ministry of Intelligence denied these charges, the judiciary ultimately sentenced him to five years in prison. The screening of the documentary about dual nationals in the Islamic Consultative Assembly prompted a reaction from the Ministry of Intelligence, which stated that it does not accept the statements of Javad Karimi Qodosi and the content of this documentary. Now, three months after that event, Alireza Rahimi, a member of the Hope faction in Parliament, tweeted that 'the Ministry of Intelligence has officially complained against Mr. Karimi Qodosi for broadcasting confidential content and false information in the dual nationals documentary aired during the questioning of Dr. Zarif in the open session of Parliament.' He added, 'Baseless claims and public confusion under the umbrella of legal protection have reached their final station.' Mr. Karimi Qodosi, a member of the Front of Steadfastness, has previously faced complaints from Hassan Rouhani's government, including two complaints referred to the judiciary last summer. These complaints were also related to his claims about the presence of permanent residents of the United States among senior government officials and the infiltration of 'spies in the nuclear team.'