Land Grabbing and Political Structure

Mostafa Pourmohammadi, the Justice Minister of Hassan Rouhani's government, told ISNA that land grabbing in the country has been halted. Mr. Pourmohammadi added that the fight against land use change is one of the important issues pursued by the current government. Radio Farda interviewed Mehdi Mahdavi Azad, a political analyst and journalist in Germany, who was first asked about the history of land grabbing in the Islamic Republic, as both main factions in Iran accuse each other of land grabbing. Mehdi Mahdavi Azad: Land grabbing essentially began in the early days of the revolution after the confiscation events. Religious institutions of the Islamic Republic confiscated the properties of those who fled at that time for their own benefit. After the war, it entered a new phase with Mr. Hashemi's first government. Extensive land grabbing began, with land use changes starting from Damavand, Lavasanat, Varamin, and the outskirts of Tehran. Ultimately, it reached free zones like Kish and Qeshm, and areas like Kelardasht were plowed. Almost all coastal lands of Mazandaran and Gilan were taken. It then reached forest lands and ultimately, during the first term of Mr. Ahmadinejad, it entered an unprecedented phase. Almost all desirable areas of the country were plowed in the literal sense. It even reached unimaginable places like Gerdakhe Hiran. The role of land grabbing in the military, political, and economic structure of the Islamic Republic is such that we can now say it is part of this structure. It not only finances the economic costs of parties, groups, and power factions but also covers political costs, political activities, and even sometimes the costs of ideological activities and Islamic propaganda of the parties of the Islamic Republic, especially institutions affiliated with senior clerics. Of course, Mr. Khamenei, in a statement made about two years ago, said that even if land grabbing is to be done for the seminary, it must be stopped. When Mr. Rouhani's government came to power, Mr. Jahangiri explicitly stated that organized corruption in the structure of the Islamic Republic has become like a plague and has corrupted the entire fabric of the Islamic Republic, with land grabbing at the forefront of this corruption, followed by smuggling, which the Minister of Interior also spoke about. In fact, the situation had become so dire that it was no longer just about land grabbing. The media officially stated that it was about mountain grabbing, sea grabbing, and forest grabbing. The situation was so damaging that Ayatollah Khamenei was essentially forced to take such a position under government pressure. This is because a large part of the change in the use of national assets in the country is carried out by institutions affiliated with clerics or religious institutions under the guise of humanitarian or religious goals, such as building seminaries, mosques, or charitable institutions. In reality, this was not used for such purposes. It was merely a change of use for personal and political goals and non-public benefit. ISNA quoted Mr. Mostafa Pourmohammadi, the Justice Minister of Mr. Rouhani's government, stating that land grabbing has stopped in the country. How true is Mr. Pourmohammadi's statement? If land grabbing was an undeniable part of financial corruption in the structure of the Islamic Republic until 1384 (2005), unfortunately, it became remarkably public during Mr. Ahmadinejad's government. It is acceptable to say that the open looting of public assets during Mr. Ahmadinejad's era has now stopped. However, to accept or say that it has completely stopped means that Mr. Pourmohammadi's claim is exaggerated. It is like the head of the Drug Control Organization claiming that drug use in Iran has ended. Such a thing is unbelievable. According to the latest statements from officials, Mr. Afshar, the head of the Land Affairs Organization, says we receive three thousand public reports a week regarding land grabbing. Mr. Mohsen Ejei states that in 1393 (2014), the judiciary reclaimed only 42,500 hectares of land. This volume is much more extensive than what can be claimed to have stopped with a few directives or efforts by the government, which I confirm. Why is this discussion raised today, despite all the complex political events happening internationally and in Tehran, and why does Mr. Pourmohammadi claim that land grabbing has ended in the country? Always, on the eve of all elections, one of the most important issues and problems for parties and officials has been the financial resources of parties, especially rival parties. The two crucial elections this winter and the financial resources that will be spent, and certainly one of the main financial resources will be the issue of land grabbing, have made this topic a current issue that I believe we will witness many ups and downs regarding it until the elections.