Minister of Communications: Broadcasting Maedeh Hejabi's Confessions Was to Distract Public Opinion from Currency Transparency

Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, the Minister of Communications, stated that the airing of Maedeh Hejabi's confessions, a 17-year-old Instagram dancer, was intended to divert public attention from those whose interests are threatened by currency market transparency. On Tuesday, the state television aired a program titled "Biraheh" in which several girls expressed remorse for their activities on Instagram. One of these girls, Maedeh Hejabi, was seen crying in front of the interviewer. Immediately, a wave of critical reactions arose against this program and the entirety of state television. Zahra Rahnavard, who is under house arrest, along with dozens of political and cultural figures inside and outside the country, and thousands of Iranian users condemned the program. Even the Kayhan newspaper described the program as "bad taste" and "giving excuses to enemies," while the judiciary did not accept responsibility for it. Criticism of the program was also voiced within state television's own broadcasts, but the management defended its actions. In response to the program, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, in a radio interview on Wednesday, July 20, stated that the purpose of the program was to mislead public opinion, saying: "The issue of a young lady who was active on Instagram and the filtering of this social network was the result of decisions made by think tanks whose interests are threatened by the issue of currency transparency. Of course, I am not saying that state television and the responsible official who has interviewed on these matters are think tanks." Azari Jahromi was the first minister to publish a list of recipients of the 4200 toman currency for importing smartphones. After the publication of this list, it became clear that newly established companies or those outside their field had received state currency for mobile imports and sold it at free market rates or did not use all the currency for imports. Mohammad Shariatmadari, the Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, who initially refrained from publishing a similar list, ultimately released the list of state currency recipients following widespread criticism. This list also became controversial. In his continued interview, without providing details about the airing of Maedeh Hejabi's confessions on Channel One, Azari Jahromi stated: "When the atmosphere of the country is focused on the demand for transparency to clarify the status of the currencies that have been received, suddenly a lady becomes a major news subject that the whole world starts talking about, which I find unnatural." Meanwhile, Hesamoddin Ashna, a cultural advisor to the President and a member of the Supervisory Council of state television, stated: "There is a possibility for individuals to file complaints regarding the airing of their images on television by the Supervisory Council of state television." The issue of the "Biraheh" program has also reached the parliament. Gholamreza Kateb, a parliamentary supervisor on the Supervisory Council of state television, told ISNA that "numerous complaints by the Association for the Support of Children and various social groups" have been received by the Supervisory Council, and these complaints will be addressed in the next week's session. Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, also criticized the "Biraheh" program and, while opposing girls dancing on Instagram, stated: "The airing of a teenage girl's confessions about her unethical Instagram activities, while crying and feeling helpless, stirred public emotions in her favor. The managers of state television should have their finger on the pulse of the psychology of society to avoid counterproductive actions. People are always in favor of the oppressed, even if they do not consider her actions or thoughts to be correct." Motahari described the "Biraheh" program, the airing of scenes from the private life of the late Seyed Emami, an environmental activist, and the trials of election protesters in 2009 as merely "a sample of the larger picture" regarding the record of state television. Neither state television, the police, nor the judiciary has taken responsibility for airing the "Biraheh" program. While Mohammad Hossein Ranjbaran, the Director General of Public Relations of state television, stated that "based on a conversation I had with the officials of the police, judicial orders had been issued for these individuals, and even a judicial authority had requested that the subject of these individuals be definitely publicized," ISNA reported that the results of this news agency's inquiries from several judicial sectors have met with the response: "The airing of this documentary was not coordinated with the judiciary, and the judiciary will provide necessary information on this matter early next week." On the other hand, dozens of opponents of the Islamic Republic abroad, following the airing of this program, wrote a letter to Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, calling for sanctions against state television. Reza Pahlavi, the son of Mohammad Reza Shah, also tweeted that the crime of Maedeh Hejabi and other Iranian women is that "they want to be free and live..." Critics of state television's policies have accused this organization for years of transforming from a "national" entity to a "military" one, pursuing the goals of military-security institutions and radical political factions. Mustafa Tajzadeh, a reformist political activist, tweeted after the airing of the "Biraheh" program: "If state television were accountable to anyone other than the leader, it would never have been able to continue illegal and inhumane confessions..." The head of state television is appointed by the leader of the Islamic Republic, and this organization has so far resisted parliamentary investigations into itself.