Minister of Intelligence Acknowledges 'Instrumental Use of Criminal Acts' in Iran

Mahmoud Alavi, the Minister of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic, acknowledged on Thursday that criminal acts are sometimes used instrumentally in Iran. He stated that one cannot disturb the peace of the people with 'illusions' and described the instrumental use of criminal acts for political purposes as a 'serious harm.' According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Alavi made these remarks at a conference of public, revolutionary, and military prosecutors, warning that 'invasion of individuals' privacy is against Islamic law.' He mentioned arrests made on charges of 'espionage,' but investigations by the Ministry of Intelligence found no basis for such accusations. Alavi did not specify the names of those arrested but called for 'real action' against 'criminal titles' to minimize harm. These statements seem to hint at the recent arrests of political, civil, and media activists by the judiciary and the Revolutionary Guards over the past three years. After Hassan Rouhani came to power in Iran, these two judicial and military bodies have pursued arrests under new titles such as combating 'infiltration.' The Minister of Intelligence also stated that 'infiltration' is a 'serious' and 'fundamental' issue, but the way to combat it is not by 'closing windows' to prevent the 'entry of pests.' Alavi added that the 'channels of infiltration, methods, covers, and purposes must be identified, and ways to counter them should be examined and calculated with great sensitivity and precision.' In another part of his speech, he mentioned a 'psychological' threat against the judiciary aimed at 'forcing the judicial system to issue desired rulings.' According to this intelligence official, 'no individual or legal entity, even governmental bodies, has the right to pressure the judiciary and judges,' and 'issued rulings must be benevolent and Islamic and should not fall outside the realm of justice.' He did not elaborate further, but it seems his comments refer to a new wave of the judiciary's actions against some media and media activists during the case of the transfer of municipal properties in Tehran, which, according to some unconfirmed reports, were carried out at the request of Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. The Iranian judiciary has long been described by a group of civil, political, and media activists as a 'non-independent' entity, with some of its rulings and arrests being based on pressure and demands from the Revolutionary Guards. In recent years, a significant number of individuals arrested on charges of 'espionage' or involvement in 'infiltration projects' by the judiciary or the Revolutionary Guards have been released after some time without a trial or ruling being issued. One of the most recent cases involves the arrest and release of Homa Hoodfar, an Iranian-Canadian professor at Concordia University, who was released from prison this week and returned to Canada after months of detention on 'security' charges related to her feminist activities, without the Iranian authorities providing any explanation regarding these charges or the outcome of her case. In this context, the conservative website Alef noted on October 7 that the type of arrests and detention of Hoodfar was 'costly,' 'fruitless,' and a sign of 'mismanagement.' The website stated, 'It is evident that what is gained in this process is the weakening of the country's authority and the reputation of intelligence forces, which is undermined by these questionable and politically motivated arrests and releases.'