Member of Ayatollah Khomeini's Office: Audio File of Montazeri's Remarks is 'Full of Errors and Distortions'

Mohammad Ali Ansari, a member of Ayatollah Khomeini's office, described the audio file of Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri's remarks about the executions of 1988, published on the website on Tuesday, as 'full of errors and distortions' and 'unfair.' In an interview with the Jamaran website on Wednesday, August 20, he stated that the published audio file does not contain new information, as these points can also be found in the 'attributed' memoirs of Montazeri. The head of the Institute for the Compilation and Publication of Ayatollah Khomeini's Works emphasized that the content of Montazeri's meeting with decision-makers regarding the execution of political and ideological prisoners in 1988 was 'incomplete and full of errors and distortions.' He also considered Montazeri's remarks 'unfair and accompanied by biases that his cunning associates have instilled in him.' Ansari deemed Montazeri's statements regarding Ahmad Khomeini as 'incorrect and unjust.' The website of Ayatollah Montazeri had published the audio file of his remarks during a meeting with Hossein Ali Niri (the Sharia judge), Morteza Eshraqi (Tehran prosecutor), Ebrahim Raisi (deputy prosecutor), and Mostafa Pourmohammadi (representative of intelligence in Evin), who were part of the decision-making committee regarding the execution of political and ideological prisoners in the summer of 1988. In this meeting, Montazeri referred to Ahmad Khomeini's and the Ministry of Intelligence's roles in planning these executions years in advance, stating that Ahmad Khomeini had been saying for years prior to the executions that all members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization, even those who read its publications, should be executed. He also mentioned that Ahmad, the Sharia judge of Khuzestan, had come to him and protested against the execution of political and ideological prisoners for baseless reasons, and he wrote down Ahmad's remarks for Ayatollah Khomeini. According to Montazeri, 'Khomeini requested a meeting with Ahmad to explain the situation, but Mohammad Ali Ansari, a member of Imam's office, did not allow Ahmad to express his objections and told him that when he goes to Ayatollah Khomeini, he should only kiss his hand and write his objections in a letter to Ahmad Khomeini.' In response to these remarks, Ansari stated: 'There was no prevention of his remarks, and I was much too small to interfere in such a matter, where one end is a message from Montazeri to the Imam and the other end is a legal issue.' The head of the Institute for the Compilation and Publication of Ayatollah Khomeini's Works announced that he intends to address 'the various dimensions and aspects of this issue' in the future, including his meetings with Ayatollah Montazeri and his associates. Ansari emphasized: 'The publication of this tape after 28 years, when the leaders of imperialism and Takfiris are mingling with the hypocrites, is a revival of them and legitimization for them.' Ansari's reference may be to the presence of Turki al-Faisal, former head of Saudi intelligence, at a Mojahedin-e Khalq meeting in Paris on July 10. Meanwhile, some Telegram groups close to conservatives have considered the publication of Montazeri's audio file after the Mojahedin-e Khalq conference as indicative of a 'planned' action. The Fars news agency, close to the Revolutionary Guards, also reported: 'This action took place a few days after anti-revolutionary media launched their annual propaganda wave on the anniversary of the executions of the hypocrites.' The news agency added: 'The publication of the audio of this meeting was also a new fruit of a table that the anti-revolutionaries had prepared and set a few days before.' The Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, also reported on the publication of this audio file, referencing previously published remarks from some of Ayatollah Khomeini's close associates regarding Montazeri's dismissal from the position of deputy leadership, which had been published earlier. Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri resigned from the position of deputy leader of the Islamic Republic in April 1989. This Shiite cleric was placed under house arrest after a speech in 1997 and was released from house arrest in 2002. Following the protests against the 2009 presidential election, he repeatedly objected to the Islamic Republic's treatment of protesters. Ayatollah Montazeri passed away at 1 AM on December 20, 2009, and his body was buried among a large crowd of supporters, including supporters of the Green Movement, in Qom.