Mahmoud Sadeghi's Reaction to Guardian Council's Complaint Over Allegations of 'Financial Corruption'

Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative from Tehran in the Parliament, reacted to the statements made by the spokesman of the Guardian Council, stating that the council had not requested any documentation from him regarding his comments. The Guardian Council has filed a complaint against Mr. Sadeghi for alleging that some 'affiliated' individuals with the election oversight committees solicited bribes from election candidates. In a tweet last July, Mr. Sadeghi wrote: 'Does Ayatollah Jannati know that financial corruption has infiltrated the institution under his management?' Mr. Sadeghi emphasized that 'if individuals are provided with guarantees, many are willing to testify about the requests made from them during the vetting process of parliamentary candidates by some affiliated individuals with the election oversight committees.' Abbasali Kadkhodaei, the spokesman for the Guardian Council, on Friday accused Mr. Sadeghi of insulting the 'dignity of the system and the Guardian Council' in defense of the complaint against him. According to Mr. Kadkhodaei, Mr. Sadeghi was 'requested to provide documentation,' but 'no documentation was provided,' which is why the council has filed a complaint against this parliament member. However, Mr. Sadeghi stated on Twitter that the Guardian Council 'never' requested him to 'provide documentation.' He also announced that 'a number of individuals who were offered payments for their qualifications or are aware of this have expressed their readiness to testify in the oversight committee.' The oversight committees affiliated with the Guardian Council disqualify thousands of candidates in each parliamentary election. In the tenth parliamentary elections, out of about 12,000 candidates, only about one-third were approved. A case has also been opened against Mahmoud Sadeghi due to his comments about the 'personal' accounts of the head of the judiciary. Additionally, on December 7, 2016, agents attempted to arrest Mr. Sadeghi in front of his house, but this attempt failed due to Mr. Sadeghi's efforts and the help of his son. In previous terms, several parliament members have also been arrested due to their statements.