Minister of Intelligence Issues Another Warning Against Accusing Individuals of 'Espionage'

The Minister of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic has deemed defending 'Wilayat' through 'disrespect and lies' as a 'mistake' and warned for the second time that individuals who have not engaged in espionage should not be accused of it for political purposes. According to a report on Tuesday, October 10, by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Mahmoud Alavi made these remarks during a speech commemorating Tasu'a at the mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. He rejected 'snooping into people's personal lives' and added that intelligence forces in the Islamic Republic 'will not intrude on anyone unless there is a clear religious justification, and they do not pursue personal issues and slips.' Alavi considered 'lying and confusing the minds of the people for political purposes' to be contrary to Islam and asked, 'What has happened that we, claiming to be Muslims, easily lie for base political purposes and play with the honor and dignity of others?' He criticized the 'normalization' of accusations and false attributions to others for 'political games,' stating that 'it is not right to accuse someone of espionage who, according to experts, has not engaged in espionage for our goals.' The Minister of Intelligence had previously criticized the arrest of some individuals on espionage charges when expert investigations by his ministry indicated that they had not committed such acts. Alavi stated that 'one cannot intrude on people based on delusions' and that 'the instrumental use of criminal acts to deal with political targets and similar issues is a serious harm that must be addressed.' His remarks came after the arrest of Abdolrasoul Daryaei Isfahani, a member of the nuclear negotiation team, on charges of 'espionage' for foreigners, which received extensive media coverage from government opponents. Hardline conservatives have repeatedly warned about the possibility of 'espionage' by dual nationals and have called for their removal from government positions, holding the Ministry of Intelligence responsible for their selection and employment. In his continued remarks on the occasion of Tasu'a, the Minister of Intelligence considered revealing people's secrets 'even if it is true' as 'betrayal' and said, 'Unfortunately, it has become common to easily play with people's honor, and anything is stated... Insults are easily directed at anyone, and no respect is maintained.' According to him, 'in recent years, society has faced significant damage due to the lack of adherence to ethics and decorum and failure to comply with religious matters.' The prevalence of 'lying for political purposes, making accusations, revealing secrets, disrespect, and slander' are other issues mentioned by Alavi, who stated that 'this has also become common among those who feel attached to Islam.' He referred to the use of 'lies and disrespect' by 'lovers of Wilayat' under the pretext of 'defending' the leader of the Islamic Republic and deemed this behavior as 'mistaken.' The Minister of Intelligence said, 'Those who love him must be more careful, but some think that they can defend Wilayat through disrespect and lies, which is a mistake.' He posed the question to these individuals, 'Do you want to help the revolution and the system and defend Wilayat with lies? Can we claim to be Muslims while lying for political purposes and confusing people's minds?' Breaking the 'respect' of individuals who 'have aged and have worked hard for the revolution' by 'those who do not have much age' was another complaint from the Minister of Intelligence in this speech. He stated, 'Unfortunately, lying in some media, newspapers, and bulletins has become as easy as drinking water,' and 'we must ask those who propagate these lies and spread them in the media and cyberspace why these lies are being told.' It seems that the Minister of Intelligence's remarks refer to the harsh and insulting criticisms from hardline conservatives towards Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, which are frequently published in media affiliated with the valued forces and the IRGC. In addition to Hashemi, individuals such as Mohammad Khatami, former President of Iran, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Mehdi Karroubi have also been repeatedly addressed and referred to in derogatory terms by supporters of the leader of the Islamic Republic.