Motahari: The Expediency Council Must Accept Responsibility for the Consequences of Not Approving FATF-Related Bills

The Vice President of the Iranian Parliament states that the failure to approve two bills related to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will harm the country's banking transactions, and "the Expediency Council must accept responsibility for the consequences if it opposes these two bills." Ali Motahari emphasized in an interview with Khabaronline on Tuesday, February 9, that if the Expediency Council considers "the interests and welfare of the country," it will approve these two bills "to avoid unnecessary problems for the country." He stressed: "Opponents of these two bills must accept responsibility for their non-approval and should not attack the government afterward or criticize the country's livelihood and economic situation." The Expediency Council has had the review of the Palermo Convention on Transnational Organized Crime on its agenda in its last two sessions but has not yet rejected or approved them. However, the political-defense and legal-judicial commissions of the Expediency Council have rejected this bill. The bill for Iran's accession to the Convention on Combating the Financing of Terrorism is also on the Expediency Council's agenda. Two other FATF-related bills, including the "Bill to Amend the Law on Combating the Financing of Terrorism" and the "Bill to Amend the Law on Combating Money Laundering," have been approved by the Guardian Council and the Expediency Council. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has not participated in the Expediency Council sessions for about a year. Meanwhile, Motahari noted that the absence of the President in these sessions and his defense of the bills could influence the votes of the members. Despite Ayatollah Khamenei's previous opposition, a letter from him was read in the public session of the Parliament on October 7, stating that "I have no objection to the consideration of these bills in the Parliament." However, some of Khamenei's appointees, including Friday prayer leaders, have called for the rejection of these bills, and in recent days, gatherings have been held in some Friday prayers and mosques. Meanwhile, several ministers have requested in a letter to Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, that the two bills related to FATF regulations be approved before the deadline set by the group, which is about a month away. This letter has been criticized by some Friday prayer leaders. The FATF expressed regret on October 19 that most of Iran's commitments remain unresolved, while extending Iran's suspension from the group's blacklist for another four months, which was welcomed by Islamic Republic officials.