Minister of Culture on Concert Cancellations: The Judiciary Considers This Part of Its Rights

In response to the cancellation of Kayan Kalhor's licensed concert, Ali Jannati, the Minister of Culture in Hassan Rouhani's government, implicitly expressed his inability on Friday, May 13, stating that the judiciary "considers such actions as part of their rights." According to a report by the Islamic Republic's official news agency, IRNA, Mr. Jannati has consistently supported the holding of music concerts in the country, but he also acknowledged that his power in this matter is even less than that of a deputy prosecutor in the judiciary. Kayan Kalhor, a prominent Iranian musician with international fame, was set to perform in Nishapur on May 10 and 11, but learned that the city prosecutor had outright canceled the events. This is while Mr. Kalhor's concert had reportedly received "all necessary permits from legal authorities including the governor's office, the provincial security council, and the Ministry of Culture." Now, Ali Jannati, the head of the ministry that determines whether a concert can be held in the country and grants permission if it can, has announced that the prosecutor's office is "interfering" in this matter. He further stated that he has corresponded with the head of the judiciary "to the extent of his capacity" and that "they said they had informed the prosecutor of Mashhad and the prosecutors of the province to cooperate in some way." It does not seem that these ambiguous statements from the Minister of Culture in Hassan Rouhani's government will resolve the concert's execution, as he further stated that the judiciary considers actions such as concert cancellations as "part of their rights." Ali Jannati said: "Even a deputy prosecutor can... seize something and seal a place, and they consider themselves independent of the executive branch." Last year, in 2015, Kayan Kalhor's concert in Tehran was also canceled, and after the Ministry of Culture officials protested against the police's prevention of the concert, Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, the police spokesman, announced that this concert was canceled by "judicial order." Before the cancellation of Kayan Kalhor's concert in Nishapur, Mohsen Samiei, head of the music office of the General Directorate of Culture in Razavi Khorasan, had also reported in April that Ali Zand Vakili's traditional music concert in Shandiz, Mashhad was canceled due to "some sensitivities and oppositions." Thus, it seems that currently, the position of the hardline Friday prayer leader of Mashhad in Razavi Khorasan province holds the upper hand, a point that has also been confirmed by the Minister of Culture. Ahmad Alam al-Huda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, stated on February 27, 2015, that holding music concerts is "entertainment and laxity" and said that since the entire city of Mashhad is the shrine of the eighth Shia Imam, holding concerts in this city is considered "entertainment" in his shrine. Ali Jannati reiterated this point on Friday in a different way: "Concerts in Razavi Khorasan are held with care and precautions due to the presence of the holy shrine of Imam Reza."