Mohseni Ejei: The Ban on Khatami's Images is Ordered by the Prosecutor's Office, Not the Supreme National Security Council

Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesperson for Iran's judiciary, stated that the ban on the images of former President Mohammad Khatami was issued by the Prosecutor's Office, not the Supreme National Security Council. In an interview with the Tasnim news agency on June 14, he threatened that anyone who opposes this order will face consequences as long as it remains in effect. On June 12, President Hassan Rouhani, without mentioning Khatami's name, stated that the Supreme National Security Council has no resolution regarding the bans related to Khatami, and anyone attributing this to the council has acted against the law and should be punished. While it seemed that Rouhani's comments were directed at the judiciary spokesperson, Mohseni Ejei insisted that he had previously stated that the order came from the Prosecutor's Office. The 'image ban' on the former president has elicited reactions, including from Rouhani's government, as Rouhani had received Khatami's support in the presidential election two years ago. In mid-May, a report emerged that Rouhani's office had requested a response from the judiciary regarding the ban on publishing news and images of Khatami. A month prior, Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri mentioned that the ban on publishing news and images of Khatami was a 'momentary and transient occurrence' and added that 'this issue will hopefully be resolved soon.' Over two months after these statements, the judiciary spokesperson reiterated in his interview with Tasnim that opposing the ban on publishing images and news related to the former president would result in 'consequences' from the judiciary. Despite the ban last year, Rouhani and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani sent condolence messages following the death of Khatami's sister, which were published in some media, including the official Iranian news agency.