Judiciary Spokesman Confirms Reports of Arrest of Two Religious Figures

The spokesman for Iran's judiciary confirmed reports regarding the arrest of two religious figures without providing details, stating that one of them has been released on bail. According to the state news agency IRNA, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei announced on Sunday, August 8, during a press conference in response to a question that this case is under investigation by the Special Court for Clergy, and he has no information about the details. He mentioned that two individuals have been arrested in connection with this case, with one being released on bail. Ejei did not provide further details about the case. In recent weeks, several Telegram channels reported that Reza Helali, Rouhollah Bahmani, and Mohammad Hossein Hadadian, three well-known religious figures, were arrested due to 'connections with a woman who is an employee of the French embassy in Tehran' and 'espionage.' Some Telegram channels also claimed that the reason for the arrest of these three was 'espionage for Israel.' Following the publication of these reports, an audio file from Reza Helali and a video from Rouhollah Bahmani were released, implicitly denying these reports. Some Telegram channels also stated that the main suspect in this case is Reza Helali, while Rouhollah Bahmani and Mohammad Hossein Hadadian were arrested due to their connections with him. Some websites referred to Rouhollah Bahmani as the former son-in-law of Parvin Ahmadinejad, the sister of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, while Mohammad Hossein Hadadian is the son of the famous religious figure Saeed Hadadian. Iranian officials have remained silent regarding the accuracy of these reports. More than ten years ago, a video of Reza Helali was released showing him smoking a hookah next to a woman dressed in a well-known 'sleeveless' outfit. Afterward, Reza Helali stated that this woman was his wife. Other actions by religious figures have also made headlines in recent years. For instance, Iranian domestic websites reported in 2013 that Mahmoud Karimi, a religious figure who occasionally performs at religious gatherings attended by the Supreme Leader, was involved in a confrontation on Shahid Babaei Highway in Tehran, where he initially fired warning shots and then shot at a car's tire. The judiciary spokesman stated that in this incident, 'Mahmoud Karimi's driver' was the one who fired. Following the news of this shooting, the website Aftab Online reported the revocation of gun licenses for many religious figures and the collection of their weapons. The 'insults' by some religious figures, including Mansour Arzi and Saeed Hadadian, towards political figures in Iran have been met with criticism from several political activists over the years. However, some close associates of the Supreme Leader have defended these actions, inviting these religious figures to perform mourning ceremonies at the Leader's office. During this year's Eid al-Fitr ceremony, Meysam Motiei's criticism of Hassan Rouhani made headlines. In this context, Majid Ansari, the legal deputy of the President, called for an apology from the Tehran Friday Prayer Headquarters due to this religious performance, but Mohammad Baqer Pishnamazi, the head of this headquarters, referred to the religious figure's poem as 'the voice of the people.'