Mashaei: Standing Against This 'Deviant' Judiciary is an Honor

In the continuation of attacks from allies of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff, labeled the judiciary as 'oppressive and deviant' and invited its officials to a debate, claiming they lack the 'courage and audacity' for such an action. Meanwhile, Mohammad Ali Pourmokhtar, a conservative member of parliament, alleged that three million seven hundred thousand euros allocated for hosting the Non-Aligned Movement conference in Iran, which was under the control of Hamid Baghaei, has 'gone missing.' On Saturday, December 4, a video of Mashaei's remarks regarding his accusations was released. In this video, Mashaei stated that the allegations against him have led to the 'mockery' of the judiciary in the eyes of the public. He attributed the 'displeasure' of the judiciary officials to his comments about Cyrus and Ahmadinejad's remarks regarding the 'behind the scenes' of the attack on the British embassy. Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had, on November 7, claimed a 'connection between one of the members of the eighth parliament and a British intelligence officer' and called for the judiciary to act against those he labeled as 'internal sanctions perpetrators.' Mashaei emphasized that the idea of Ahmadinejad, himself, and Baghaei 'backing down' is a 'false notion.' He implicitly addressed the judiciary officials, stating, 'The system belongs to us; you are hiding behind there, we will pull you out, the people will bring you out from these holes. Do not think you can continue this path.' The former president's chief of staff referred to the case against Baghaei due to his remarks against the judiciary officials, saying, 'When we criticize you, we are accused of propaganda against the system; shame is a good thing, when will you wake up?' Mashaei stated, 'You still say this is an insult. So what should people have said when they wanted to oust the Shah? They should have said, 'Please leave, Shah.' He stressed that the judiciary has 'failed completely' in Baghaei's case. Mashaei also mentioned that Baghaei's complaint against the Tehran prosecutor and the judiciary spokesman has not even been received or registered by the disciplinary court for judges. He declared that the allegations against him are 'political' and that the charge of 'illegal appropriation of state property' was raised to diminish these 'political' accusations. He called on the judiciary officials to participate in a debate with Ahmadinejad's allies in Enghelab Square, asserting that they lack the 'courage and audacity' for such an action. Mashaei reiterated, 'You still say this is an insult. So what should people have said when they wanted to oust the Shah? They should have said, 'Please leave, Shah.' Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei has been summoned to the prosecutor's office on charges of 'insulting' the leadership, 'illegal appropriation of state property,' insulting system officials, and spreading falsehoods. The first interrogation session for Mashaei took place on November 20, and his second court session was held on December 4. A video of Mashaei's remarks was also released on Friday, where he stated that 'standing against this oppressive deviant judiciary is an honor.' Mashaei also announced that in a previously unreleased video, he stated that if he is arrested, any writings, videos, or audio of him released would be invalid. Hamid Baghaei, former vice president of Iran, also criticized the judiciary, calling its officials 'open oppressors.' The accusations against Baghaei include 'requesting a total of three hundred million tomans in bonuses for 16 government members,' 'assisting the International University of Iranians,' 'helping the Iranian House Organization,' 'supporting the state newspaper Iran,' and 'colluding in contracts and transactions of five companies.' Baghaei has denied these accusations, stating that the indictment was issued 'illegally.' Nevertheless, some members of parliament have raised accusations against Baghaei. Meanwhile, Mohammad Ali Pourmokhtar, a conservative member of parliament, stated that during the Non-Aligned Movement conference held five years ago in Tehran, three million seven hundred thousand euros that were under Baghaei's control have 'gone missing.' He referred to other accusations such as 'the transfer of a large sum of money out of the country by him' and 'connections with spies,' claiming that 'Baghaei's violations are completely evident.' Ahmadinejad has, in recent weeks, repeatedly accused the judiciary of 'conspiracy' against him and his allies, asserting that the officials of this branch have formed cases against him and his allies for political purposes 'without evidence or documentation.' Some of Ahmadinejad's critics question why he remained silent during his presidency against the actions of the judiciary and the crackdowns of 2009. Saeed Mortazavi, a key suspect in the Zahra Kazemi case and the Kahrizak detention center, was appointed by Ahmadinejad as the head of the Social Security Organization at his insistence. Mahmoud Sadqi, a reformist member of parliament, reacted to Ahmadinejad's complaints about the judiciary, stating, 'Did not Mr. Mortazavi, who was one of Ahmadinejad's closest associates, commit such violations, and was Ahmadinejad unaware of the Kahrizak atrocities?' Ahmadinejad himself referred to the protesters against the election results as 'debris' in a speech at Vali Asr Square. Ismail Ahmadi Moghadam, the then commander of the police force in 2009, stated in an interview in 2015 that Ahmadinejad had called for the arrest and confrontation with the protesters. According to Ismail Ahmadi Moghadam, Ahmadinejad said in 2009, 'It was very good. We shook the circle, and the extras and debris came out. Confront them and collect them all. Go arrest Khatami and the others and reduce the trouble from all of them.' Ahmadinejad's and his allies' protests began after Baghaei's trial. Baghaei was arrested in 2015 due to financial accusations, and after that, Ahmadinejad's close associates reported that he was released on the orders of the Supreme Leader. He was also arrested in July of this year and released on a 20 billion toman bail.