Judiciary: Niri Has Not Gone to Germany; Hannah Neumann: 'Clerics' Go Abroad for Treatment

The Mizan news agency, affiliated with the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, denied on Tuesday reports regarding the presence of Hossein Ali Niri, senior advisor to the Judiciary Chief and a member of the 'Death Committee' responsible for the 1988 executions, at a 'medical clinic' in Hanover, Germany. The news agency claimed, citing 'close associates' of Niri, that he has 'not traveled to Germany at all in recent days, months, or even years.' German lawmaker Hannah Neumann, reacting to Niri's presence in Germany, stated that the ruling 'mullahs' of Iran ask the people to go to mosques and pray for their illnesses, but they themselves spend large amounts of money to go to hospitals abroad. Neumann added that it is time for visa issuers for these officials—Italy being one of them, according to her—those who receive huge sums of money from these officials, as well as those responsible for torturing and killing Iranians, to be held accountable. Some news sources reported in recent days that this member of the 'Death Committee' in the 1988 executions has been hospitalized for treatment at a private neurology hospital in Hanover, headed by Majid Samiei, for about a month. A Voice of America reporter on Sunday reported from outside this hospital that patients admitted there have been prohibited from receiving visitors for unspecified reasons in recent days. Mina Ahadi, a political activist and member of the International Committee Against Execution, stated in an interview with Voice of America that she and other activists are making every effort to pursue an arrest warrant for this Sharia judge. According to her, complaints from victims have been submitted to the prosecutor's office. Ahadi added that they have contacted the Foreign Ministry, the police, and the Interior Ministry of the province. According to this political activist, Hossein Ali Niri is hospitalized on the second floor of the private neurology hospital in Hanover, and no one is allowed to enter that floor. Concurrently with the news of this Sharia ruler of the Islamic Republic being hospitalized, a group of opponents of the regime held a rally outside the hospital demanding the arrest of this judge accused of involvement in the massacre of thousands of political prisoners. The treatment of high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic at the private hospital led by Majid Samiei is not unprecedented. About four years ago, Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, then head of the Expediency Discernment Council and former head of the Iranian Judiciary, underwent surgery at the same hospital. At that time, widespread protests against Shahroudi's hospitalization led to his nighttime departure and return to Tehran.