Jahangiri Calls on Judiciary to Address Insults Against President

The First Vice President of Iran has called for the judiciary to take action against 'open' insults directed at Hassan Rouhani, announcing that the legal deputy of the President has been instructed to pursue this matter with the judiciary. According to ISNA news agency, Eshaq Jahangiri stated on Sunday evening, August 8, that the government's effort has been to refrain from suing those who insult the President and the government, except in cases of 'open' insults. He emphasized that 'the dignity of the President must be respected' and added that the government expects the judiciary to act proactively against the offenders without waiting for complaints. Jahangiri also mentioned that he has 'reminded the legal deputy of the President to follow up on these insults with the judiciary.' On Saturday, he described attacks from 'hardline and extremist' individuals against Rouhani as 'very trivial' and 'unprecedented,' stating that 'the President and the eleventh government are the most oppressed government and President since the revolution.' In recent months, attacks from individuals close to the Supreme Leader against Rouhani and his government have increased, with some conservative media suggesting that Rouhani's presidency is a temporary one. Meanwhile, Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, described Rouhani as a 'naive' individual who believes Iran has gained dignity through the nuclear agreement. Additionally, Hamid Rouhani, a hardline cleric, has called for Rouhani to be tried for 'betrayal of the country and lies' due to his actions in the Vienna nuclear agreement. Rouhani defended the nuclear deal on Tuesday, August 2, stating that the JCPOA brought 'dignity' to Iran, while during sanctions, 'we were always reaching out to others.' In recent months, some figures and media close to the Revolutionary Guards have accused Hossein Fereydoun, Rouhani's brother, of economic corruption. For instance, Hossein Shariatmadari, representative of the Supreme Leader in the Kayhan newspaper, implicitly called for Rouhani to take action against his brother due to economic corruption during a television program on Saturday night. Previously, following the arrest of Ali Rostegar, the former CEO of Bank Mellat, several media outlets affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards and Mousa Ghaznavi Abadi, head of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, accused Fereydoun of having 'connections' with a 'banking corruption network.' Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman, on June 15, reacted to reports against Rouhani's government, including 'multi-hundred-million salaries' of several managers, revealing the existence of a 'think tank' that, according to him, was formed with 'political motives' against the government and 'determines what should happen every Saturday.'