Lawyer of Hamid Baghaei: My Client's Health Condition is Critical

The lawyer of Hamid Baghaei, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's executive deputy during his presidency, reported a meeting with his client on Tuesday, August 4, describing Mr. Baghaei's health condition as 'critical.' Hamid Baghaei was arrested on June 8, and Ali Asghar Hosseini, one of his defense attorneys, has stated that his client is accused of 'embezzlement.' According to ISNA news agency, the office of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on Wednesday that Mr. Baghaei met with his lawyer, Adel Heydari, after 56 days of temporary detention in Evin prison. Following this meeting, Heydari expressed concern over his client's health condition. Meanwhile, Heydari and Hosseini announced that during Baghaei's detention, only 'four' hearings were held in 'interrogation,' the last of which was on July 13. Additionally, the website 'Dolat Bahar,' close to Ahmadinejad, reported that Baghaei's lawyers expressed their 'discontent' over the 'slowness' of the proceedings and emphasized that two months of temporary detention for their client is 'not logical or justifiable at all.' Iranian judiciary officials have not provided any explanation regarding this matter. However, Mohammad Ashrafi Isfahani, head of the primary committee addressing administrative violations of the presidency, stated after Baghaei's arrest, citing 'the words of one of the country's security officials,' that he had 'exported assets' from the country and invested in 'ten foreign countries.' The Tabnak website also reported on June 8, quoting Gholamali Jafarzadeh, a representative from Rasht, that 'one of the violations' attributed to Baghaei was 'transferring 20 trillion tomans from inside the country to currency exchanges in Arab countries.' Adel Heydari, Baghaei's lawyer, stated on Wednesday that he would file a complaint against Ashrafi Isfahani for his remarks about his client. According to ILNA, Ashrafi Isfahani, hours after this threat, said they are 'prepared for a detailed response' in court sessions and to show 'necessary documentation.' In 2011, following the arrest of Alireza Moghimy, Ali Asghar Parhizkar, and Azadeh Ardakani, heads of the Arvand and Aras free zones and the head of the National Museum of Iran, who were mentioned as close associates of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei and Hamid Baghaei, rumors about the potential arrest of these two individuals for financial violations also emerged. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reacted to these rumors by calling his cabinet a 'red line,' stating that 'if they want to interfere with that, then I must fulfill my legal duty.' Meanwhile, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Iran's Minister of Justice, stated on Wednesday that Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff, had a 'significant role' in the embezzlement case of three trillion tomans.