Mohseni Eje'i: Media Have No Right to Publish Images or Articles About Mohammad Khatami

The spokesperson of Iran's judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i, stated during a press conference on Tuesday, February 15, that media outlets "do not have the right" to publish images or articles about Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran, and that those media deemed "violators" will face consequences. In response to a question regarding the judiciary's order to "prohibit the publication of the name and image of the reformist government president," he said: "Regarding individuals that the Supreme National Security Council has made decisions about or that the judiciary considers to be leaders of sedition, the judiciary can issue orders." He added: "An order was given regarding the individual in question that media outlets are not allowed to reflect or transmit his image or articles; this order remains in effect, and if any media acts contrary to this, they will be dealt with." Ten representatives from the Front of Steadfastness had, in a written notice to Justice Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi during a session on July 6, called for the "implementation of the ban on the image, travel, and speech of Mohammad Khatami" by the judiciary. Mohammad Mousavi Nejad, one of the signatories of this notice, described Khatami's prohibition on images as a "resolution of the Supreme National Security Council." In contrast, Ali Motahari, a representative from Tehran, stated that "the National Security Council has no resolution regarding the prohibition of Khatami's image," and the notices from a group of representatives on this matter are "irrational." In recent years, there have also been reports about Khatami being banned from leaving the country. After Hassan Rouhani was elected president, some media reported the lifting of his travel ban; however, Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i stated last year that "those who committed injustices during the 2009 sedition have not seen any changes regarding them, and previous measures are being enforced for them. Nothing new has occurred." The prohibition on media from publishing Khatami's images and news comes despite the fact that he won the presidency in the 1997 elections with over 20 million votes, defeating his main rival, Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, by more than 13 million votes. He was re-elected in 2001 with over 21 million votes. Following the 2009 presidential elections, some individuals close to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, such as Hossein Shariatmadari, the Supreme Leader's representative at Kayhan newspaper, and other conservative media and figures, accused Khatami of siding with the protesters against the election results. Khatami participated in several protests in 2009, such as those on June 15, Quds Day, and February 11, and was attacked by forces known as plainclothes agents during some of these protests, including the Quds Day rally. In recent years, he has repeatedly protested against the government's treatment of the 2009 election protesters and the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, leaders of the Green Movement. In another part of his statements, the spokesperson mentioned that Mohammad Reza Rahimi, the former first vice president of Iran, is facing charges of bribery amounting to 1.5 billion tomans, money laundering, acquiring illegitimate wealth, and participating in a network of embezzlement, bribery, and fraud. According to Mohseni Eje'i, the Supreme Court did not find sufficient evidence for the charges of money laundering and participation in the embezzlement network. The deputy head of the judiciary stated that Rahimi received 1.5 billion tomans from Davood Sarkhosh Shari, one of the main defendants in the Iran Insurance case, adding: "Contrary to Rahimi's claim that he paid the money to 170 members of parliament, these payments were for facilitating Sarkhosh's work, as Sarkhosh had 60 billion tomans in overdue bank debts." He further stated: "The amount he claims to have paid to them has a significant discrepancy with the list he provided, and the amount he announced is much lower than 1.2 billion tomans." On November 5, Rahimi wrote in a letter to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Jaber Abdali, one of the defendants in the Iran Insurance embezzlement case, had paid a total of 1.2 billion tomans to approximately 170 candidates for the eighth parliament, with documents and copies of issued checks "registered in the case file." The Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office announced on Sunday that police officers had taken Rahimi to Evin Prison. He has been sentenced by the 11th branch of the Supreme Court to five years and 91 days in prison, repayment of 2.85 billion tomans, and a fine of 1 billion tomans. The spokesperson also reported that death sentences have been issued for several individuals in cities such as Tehran, Varamin, and Pakdasht in connection with cases of "murder, armed robbery, and sexual assault," but these sentences have not yet been finalized by the Supreme Court. Mohseni Eje'i also referred to the news about the issuance of a sentence for Mehdi Hashemi, the son of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, as "speculation" and stated that his sentence has not yet been issued. According to the Bahar News website, Javad Karimi Qodosi, a representative from Mashhad, stated on Wednesday, January 24, that based on "existing evidence," Mehdi Hashemi will be sentenced to five years in prison in the first trial and two years of suspended imprisonment in the appeal stage.