Judiciary Spokesman: Mohammad Reza Rahimi Granted Leave with Doctor's Approval

The spokesman for Iran's judiciary stated that the reason for the Tehran prosecutor's approval of leave for Mohammad Reza Rahimi, the former first vice president of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, was due to the 'serious illness' of his wife and a doctor's confirmation. According to the state news agency IRNA, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei emphasized in a press conference on Tuesday, March 2, that 'Rahimi's leave was granted based on the Tehran prosecutor's announcement and the doctor's confirmation due to his wife's serious illness, and the doctor indicated that seeing his wife might positively affect his morale.' He mentioned that the Tehran prosecutor's office granted Mr. Rahimi leave 'temporarily' and 'based on necessity.' The Tehran prosecutor's office announced on March 1, two weeks after Mohammad Reza Rahimi's imprisonment, that it had agreed to his leave. This comes in contrast to numerous reports in recent years about judicial authorities preventing political prisoners from receiving medical leave. In a recent case, 96 political and civil activists reported that Saeed Razavi Faqih, a journalist and former student activist, was returned to Rajai Shahr prison despite doctors' recommendations for hospitalization in the cardiac surgery department. In another part of his remarks, the judiciary spokesman predicted that the verdict for Mehdi Hashemi, the son of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, would be announced by the end of the year, 'unless an unforeseen problem arises.' Mr. Mohseni Ejei added, 'The requested opportunity was granted, and a supplementary bill was submitted; therefore, according to the normal procedure, this verdict should be issued by the end of the year.' His statements come as Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, Mehdi Hashemi's lawyer, stated on March 1 that the court's conclusion for his client had been announced, but the conclusion of the proceedings had not been declared, and if the court deems it necessary, investigations into this case will continue. Regarding comments made by Ali Younesi, the special assistant to the Iranian president on ethnic and minority affairs, about human rights violations in Iranian prisons, Mr. Ejei asserted, 'It is certainly against the law for an official to make statements without providing documents and evidence, and in some cases, it is subject to prosecution.' Mr. Younesi attributed human rights violations in the Islamic Republic to 'radical elements' and 'self-appointed individuals,' stating, 'There are radical elements that have infiltrated some centers of power and create issues for the Islamic Republic of Iran through arbitrary actions and violations of citizens' rights.' The judiciary spokesman further stated that the judicial order prohibiting the publication of images and materials related to Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran, 'remains in effect.' According to Mr. Ejei, media outlets that were filtered and seized for publishing images of Mr. Khatami were unblocked after providing a 'commitment' to comply with judicial orders. The 'Jamaran' website, the official base of the Institute for the Compilation and Publication of the Works of Ayatollah Khomeini, along with the 'Bahareh News' site, was blocked by the judiciary on Thursday night due to the publication of images of Mr. Khatami. The Mizan news agency, affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, reported on March 1 that the Tehran prosecutor's office issued an order to unblock this site after the manager of the Jamaran site appeared at the prosecutor's office and provided a commitment to adhere to judicial instructions. The first deputy of the judiciary also confirmed reports about the arrest of three individuals at a mobile phone company, adding, 'These individuals were arrested for leaking confidential information and providing this information to unauthorized persons.' Mr. Mohseni Ejei also commented on the issuance of a death sentence for a cleric in Qom, stating, 'Many of the claims made are incorrect; no definitive ruling has been issued in this regard, and the case is currently under review in the special clerical prosecutor's office, and since there is no final ruling yet, I cannot provide details.' Some news websites, including 'Saham News,' close to Mehdi Karroubi, reported the issuance of a death sentence for Majid Jafari Tabar, a 'notable' cleric in Qom, with accusations of 'claiming to have contact with the Imam of the Time,' 'playing master and disciple,' and 'having contact with jinn.' Mr. Mohseni Ejei's statements come despite his confirmation on Wednesday, February 17, of reports regarding the issuance of a death sentence for this cleric by the special clerical court. Meanwhile, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the head of the special clerical court, also stated on March 1 that the case of the cleric known as 'Sheikh Estekhareh' is under review in the appeals court following his objection to the death sentence.