Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: The Trial of Rahim Mashaei Was a Show

The former president of Iran described the trial of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, his former chief of staff, as a "show" and claimed that his verdict was "preordained," accusing the judge of acting as an "interrogator." In a video message, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated that Mashaei's sentence was predetermined and that a "show trial" was intended, which is why his colleague did not defend himself in court and "is unwilling to be part of this show." Ahmadinejad emphasized that the charges against Mashaei are "political" and that, according to the law, his trial should be held with a jury present. The second session of Mashaei's trial took place on September 2, during which he announced that he had not read the indictment and that the court lacked jurisdiction over his charges. Nevertheless, Judge Moussa Ghazanfari asked Mashaei to explain his relationship with individuals he labeled as "spies for Israel and England." The first session of Mashaei's trial was held on September 3. The government website, Dowlat Bahar, reported that Mashaei was "forcibly" taken to court. In his video message, Ahmadinejad also accused the judge of appearing "in the role of an interrogator" during the trial, while he should be an impartial figure judging between the accusations made by the prosecutor and the defense of the accused. He stated that with "this approach and behavior of the judge, all officials in the country from top to bottom are accused and condemned." The judge of Mashaei's trial is also the head of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. He had previously spoken out against Mashaei multiple times when he was a representative in the ninth parliament. Ahmadinejad also announced that he and Mashaei's lawyers would publish the charges against him and their responses for public opinion. Judiciary officials had announced that Mashaei's trial was public; however, reports indicated that several journalists and individuals intending to attend the court session were prevented from doing so. Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff during his presidency, was arrested on March 14, 2018, after he burned the sentence of Hamid Baghaei in front of the British Embassy in Tehran. Hamid Baghaei, Ahmadinejad's executive assistant, has also been sentenced to 15 years in prison for "embezzlement" and "misappropriation of public funds" and has been in prison since March 13, 2018. He has repeatedly stated that he has gone on hunger strike in protest of his sentence.