Motahari Threatens Minister of Information with Interrogation Over 'Arrest of 12 Telegram Managers'

The Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Motahari, threatened the Minister of Information due to the 'arrest of 12 managers of reformist Telegram channels' and the re-arrest of Ehsan Mazandarani, former editor-in-chief of the Farhikhtegan newspaper. On Wednesday, March 15, in an interview with the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), he stated that he was aware of the 'arrest of 12 managers of reformist or government-supporting Telegram channels' and that a military intelligence agency was behind it. He noted that 'this action was taken in the last days of the year when the Parliament is not in session and information dissemination is difficult, creating doubts especially on the eve of the presidential elections.' Mr. Motahari's remarks did not provide further details or mention the names of those arrested or the titles of the Telegram channels. Hours before this interview, the news website Zeyton, close to reformists, reported that Ali Ahmadnia, the manager of the Telegram channel Eslahat News, had been arrested. The report stated that on Tuesday, 'news about the arrest of managers of several Telegram channels supporting reformists and the Rouhani government had been published,' and 'the inactivity of some channels like the Reformists Assembly, Eslahat News, and Rouhani Supporters has fueled these reports.' Reports indicate that the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is behind these arrests. Ali Motahari further criticized the re-arrest of Ehsan Mazandarani, referring to his lawyer's statements that he had served his prison sentence. Ehsan Mazandarani, who had recently been released from prison, was re-arrested on Sunday when IRGC intelligence agents stormed his home. The Tehran prosecutor announced that the reason for his arrest was the full execution of a two-year prison sentence, but Mazandarani's lawyer and wife released documents indicating that his sentence had ended, which is why he was released on February 12. In a conversation with his family, Mazandarani informed them that he had gone on a dry hunger strike while in detention. Some of Mazandarani's relatives reported on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter that his wife, Malihe Hosseini, was dismissed from the Farhikhtegan newspaper following this incident. Meanwhile, Ali Motahari warned the Minister of Information to explain both the arrests of the reformist Telegram channel managers and the arrest of Ehsan Mazandarani, and if he does not provide satisfactory answers, he will pursue questioning the Minister or even his impeachment in Parliament. He ultimately stated: 'I ask the Minister of Information to provide satisfactory explanations about both issues and clarify which agency was responsible for these actions; because the only accountable intelligence agency mentioned in the Constitution is the Ministry of Information, and if others are interfering in its work, the responsibility still lies with this ministry.'