Judiciary Chief: Using Anti-Revolutionary Tools in Elections is a Crime

Sadegh Larijani, the head of the judiciary, stated that some individuals are using 'anti-revolutionary tools' to advance their electoral agendas, which he described as a 'criminal' act. On Tuesday, March 9, the state news agency reported that Larijani spoke in a meeting of senior judicial officials about people collaborating with the 'enemy' to 'destroy' the system and the elections. He mentioned that 'enemies' have infiltrated through 'spreading rumors and undermining elections and the system,' and that the use of these 'tools' in the upcoming elections is 'dangerous' and 'criminal.' Although he did not name specific individuals or groups, he added that 'some anti-revolutionary media are being utilized by certain people within the country, which is absolutely a crime.' In recent months, the website 'Amad News,' one of the Persian-language sites outside Iran, published a report regarding certain accounts in the judiciary, leading Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative from Tehran, to demand explanations from the judiciary in a public session of parliament. Investigations into the clarification of these accounts by this parliament member led to political controversies, resulting in Sadeghi being summoned for explanations. Collaborating or interviewing with many Persian-language media outlets outside Iran can lead to arrests and legal penalties in the Islamic Republic, and in recent years, a significant number of journalists and political and civil activists have been arrested and imprisoned on charges of collaborating with media and certain human rights organizations in Iran. The twelfth presidential election in Iran is scheduled for Friday, May 29, 1396 (May 19, 2017). According to some reports, conservatives have prepared a coherent plan to participate in this election and hope to defeat Hassan Rouhani. In this context, the activities of Persian-language media outside Iran have become one of the main concerns of Islamic Republic officials and conservatives in this election cycle. Islamic Republic officials have once again warned about cooperation with these media and their use in the months leading up to the 1396 presidential election. Larijani also stated that 'enemies are using various intelligence apparatuses to undermine elections within the country.' He added, 'It makes no sense for some to pour water on the enemy's mill and use anti-revolutionary programs to undermine rivals and advance their electoral agendas.' According to the head of the judiciary, 'Now that there are still months left until the elections, some of them [anti-revolutionary media] say that if so-and-so comes to power, it will be beneficial for us, and what will happen if so-and-so does not come.' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, had previously stated during last year's elections for the tenth parliament and the Assembly of Experts, as well as his opposition to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's candidacy in the 96 elections, that these issues have nothing to do with Persian-language media outside Iran. On November 28 of last year, in response to the launch of a campaign aimed at removing Ahmad Jannati, Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, and Mohammad Yazdi from the Assembly of Experts, he said, 'The English radio is instructing the people of Tehran to vote for this person, not to vote for that person, and what does this mean?'