Judiciary Spokesman Implicitly Denies 'State Ownership' of IRGC Media

One day after the Iranian Ministry of Culture's report on electoral violations by media outlets using public funds, including those affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Judiciary spokesman expressed doubts about the state and public nature of these media. According to the Mizan news agency, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei announced on Sunday, April 30, that 101 electoral violation cases, including 10 media cases, have been sent to the Judiciary. He pointed out that according to electoral laws, media outlets using state funds cannot operate in favor of or against a candidate, stating that there is a disagreement regarding the interpretation of this law. According to Ejei, based on one interpretation, any media or website that uses government funds falls under this law, and 'if this interpretation is the criterion, this law applies to all media that receive subsidies as well.' He added that according to the Ministry of Culture's view, media affiliated with governmental institutions that use budgets other than subsidies are included in this law. Ejei emphasized that 'certainly the Ministry of Culture cannot be the official or state authority for determining state ownership.' The Ministry of Culture had published a report on Saturday regarding violations by state and public media in the presidential election. Of the 25 violations mentioned in this report, 18 were related to the Tasnim, Fars, and Daneshjoo news agencies, affiliated with the IRGC, one case was related to the Mizan news agency affiliated with the Judiciary, two cases were related to the ISNA news agency, and four cases were related to the IRNA news agency. The Press Deputy of the Ministry of Culture published a list of media subject to the ban on electoral advertising, which included the names of the news agencies Ana, Ibna, IRNA, ISNA, Ikna, Imna, Borna, Pana, Tasnim, Hava, Khaneh Mellat, Daneshjoo, Shabestan, Fars, Mehr, and Mizan. Several newspapers such as Isfahan Ziba, Tehran Times, Hemayat, Jam-e Jam, Shahre Ara, Shahre Vandan, Farhikhtegan, Quds, and Hegmataneh, as well as four press institutions including Etelaat, Kayhan, Khorasan, and Hamshahri, were also listed in this statement. In recent days, IRGC-affiliated news agencies and websites have published multiple reports against Hassan Rouhani and Eshaq Jahangiri, and in support of Ebrahim Raisi and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. In contrast, the state news agency IRNA and occasionally ISNA have sometimes covered government news, which in the electoral atmosphere of the country can be interpreted as support for Hassan Rouhani and his first deputy. The Judiciary spokesman also responded to a question about the case of municipal land transfers to a charity of which the mayor of Tehran's wife is a board member, stating that he is unaware if the Judiciary has declared these land transfers illegal. Ejei added, 'Regarding any report announced by an official authority that requires it, the prosecutor will follow up on that report; however, whether this action was illegal is not the case, or at least I am not aware of it.' In November 2016, the transfer of about 50,000 square meters of land in Tehran's 22nd district and a 'multi-billion tomans aid' to a charity of which Zahra Sadat Moshir, the wife of the mayor of Tehran, is a board member became a hot topic. However, the Tehran municipality stated that the land was transferred 'at the current expert rate' and that the assets of this institution belong to no individual or legal entity and are 'completely public endowment.' Previously, the transfer of several lands and apartments from the Tehran municipality to some managers of this institution, city council members, and other officials had also made headlines. In this regard, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Attorney General of the country, announced on November 6, 2016, that 'definite violations' occurred in the transfer of these properties, and 45 transfer contracts must be annulled, and discounts given to 150 individuals must be returned.