Member of Rouhani's Election Campaign in Ilam Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

On Sunday, October 22, the head of the Ilam judiciary announced the sentencing of a member of Hassan Rouhani's election campaign in Ilam to five years in prison for "insulting sacred values." According to the Iranian judiciary news agency, Mizan, Mohammad Razm, a member of Rouhani's campaign, was labeled as "the offender against the sanctity of Imam Reza" and received a five-year sentence, of which "three years are suspended and two years are enforceable." The judicial official stated that since "the accused has appealed the ruling... the case is currently under review in the provincial appeals court." During the inauguration ceremony of Rouhani's election campaign in Ilam on April 27, a satirical text expressed grievances about Imam Reza, stating that he is only the Imam of "principlists" and not of "reformists." The text also included sharp indirect criticisms of Ebrahim Raisi, the custodian of the Astan Quds Razavi, regarding the "use" of the facilities of this shrine in the presidential election held on May 18. The reading of this text, reported by local media, was conducted by Ali-Mohammad Mohammadi, the head of Rouhani's campaign in the city of "Ivān" in Ilam, and faced backlash from some religious authorities, the commander of the provincial IRGC, and conservatives. Reports indicated that the intensity of the protests against this program was such that the prosecutor of Ilam province issued an arrest warrant for this member of Rouhani's campaign. Shortly after these reports, Mizan news agency quoted the head of the Ilam judiciary as saying that one person was arrested in connection with this issue by security forces. This news agency identified the arrested individual as the program host for the inauguration of one of the candidates' provincial headquarters, stating: "This individual, who is from the city of Ivān in the west, read a letter during the inauguration that contained insults to sacred values and disrespect to the infallible Imams and the sacred status of Imam Reza." Mohammad Naqib Lotfi, as the representative of the Supreme Leader in Ilam province, also reacted to this issue by declaring a day of public mourning and published a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, expressing condolences for the "insult" to the eighth Imam of the Shiites by individuals he called "blind-hearted seditionists and hypocrites of the time." Some Friday prayer leaders from other cities in Ilam province also reacted to this issue, calling for action against the "offenders." Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a Shiite cleric in Qom, also issued a statement demanding punishment for the "wicked" individual who, according to him, caused the "noble status of Imamate to be ridiculed." Sadegh Hosseini, the commander of the IRGC in Ilam province, also issued a statement urging the judiciary to "legally deal with the offending individual and any potential behind-the-scenes actors." Meanwhile, Rouhani's election campaign has not reacted to this case.