Larijani: Americans Should Not Make Unfounded Claims About Their Citizens

The head of Iran's judiciary reacted to requests from American officials for the release of their imprisoned citizens in Iran, stating that this judiciary is handling the cases of Americans accused of espionage 'calmly and with dignity' and that Americans should not engage in 'unfounded claims' regarding their citizens. According to IRIB news agency, Sadeq Amoli Larijani emphasized on Tuesday, September 9, that the President of the United States or its Secretary of State cannot dictate terms to Iran's judiciary. He added that some of these individuals have been convicted and their cases are going through the judicial process. Amoli Larijani also mentioned that the Supreme National Security Council might consider security issues and the general interests of the country, or that prisoner exchanges might come up, or that a pardon from the Supreme Leader might be relevant, but these are last resort discussions. He advised American officials not to make unfounded claims and not to cloud the atmosphere. A day before the judiciary chief's comments, Leila Ahmadi, the lawyer for Jason Rezaian, a jailed reporter for the Washington Post, reported that a verdict had been issued for her client but had not yet been communicated. On the same day, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the judiciary spokesperson, stated he had no information about the issuance of Rezaian's verdict. He also reported that two individuals accused of espionage for the U.S. and Israel had each been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Jason Rezaian has been detained since July 22 of last year on charges of 'espionage' and 'actions against national security.' U.S. officials, the editor of the Washington Post, and Rezaian's family have denied the charges against him and called for his release. Previously, Hassan Qashqavi, Iran's Deputy Consular Minister, stated that 16 Iranians are imprisoned in the United States for allegedly circumventing U.S. sanctions against Iran. Qashqavi emphasized that while Iran seeks the release of these citizens, the issue of exchanging Iranian and American prisoners is not a reality, which pertains to Jason Rezaian's situation. Barack Obama, the U.S. President, had requested Iranian officials on March 20, 2015, to release Saeed Abedini, Amir Hekmati, and Jason Rezaian and to cooperate in finding and returning Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent. Amir Hekmati was arrested four years ago while claiming to have gone to Iran to visit his grandmother and was initially sentenced to death on charges of 'espionage' and 'collaboration with hostile countries,' but this sentence was reduced to 10 years in prison upon appeal. Pastor Saeed Abedini was arrested after returning to Iran and sentenced to eight years in prison for 'actions against national security.' In another part of his speech, the head of the judiciary referred to what he called 'the proliferation of Persian-language networks, obscene websites, and anti-value books' and emphasized that 'the issue of the enemy's cultural invasion must be taken seriously.' He added, 'Unfortunately, it sometimes feels like some streets in the capital resemble fashion showrooms more than streets and places for public movement, and this issue must be examined to see how such a situation has arisen and due to what leniency.' Amoli Larijani called on prosecutors across the country to address crimes related to cultural issues and what he termed 'manifestations and appearances promoting corruption and social anomalies.' He noted the 'excessive inclination' of Iranian families towards communication tools including mobile phones, tablets, and virtual networks, stating, 'Unfortunately, families and even children and teenagers have become excessively involved with social networks and communication tools, and engagement with these tools has taken on an addictive quality.' Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also declared on August 21 that the 'cultural and moral situation of society' in Iran is 'very concerning' and stated that 'we have made no progress in these areas.' Following the rise of Hassan Rouhani's government, Iranian lawmakers have been pursuing the approval of new penalties for issues such as 'improper hijab,' 'owning satellite dishes,' and 'dog walking' through the passage of the 'Support for Promoters of Virtue and Preventers of Vice' bill and other proposals like 'preserving the sanctity of chastity and hijab.' However, members of Hassan Rouhani's government have emphasized 'cultural confrontations' regarding issues like hijab. Meanwhile, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, stated in July this year that 'chastity and hijab' are 'an internal issue like fasting' and questioned, 'Can you force someone to fast? If you say so, they will claim to be fasting but will go to another room to drink water.'