Mustafa Moein's Speech Canceled 'By Order of the Ahvaz Prosecutor'

A student organization and the deputy of Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences announced that the speech of Mustafa Moein, former Minister of Science, scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, at this university, has been canceled by order of the Ahvaz prosecutor. According to ISNA news agency, Sasan Moghayi, the student deputy of Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences, reported that the conference 'Right to Vote and Social System Reforms,' which was supposed to feature a speech by Mustafa Moein, was canceled 'by order of the judicial authority.' Mr. Moghayi stated that this speech was canceled 'based on electoral laws and considering that the time for the second stage of campaigning has not yet arrived, and the use of state facilities for campaigning is prohibited.' Meanwhile, the 'Islamic Association of Students Following the Line of Imam' at Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences announced in a statement that some individuals exerted pressure on the university based on 'an unknown poster,' and ultimately, Mr. Moein's speech was canceled by the order of the Ahvaz prosecutor. Reports indicated that candidates supported by reformists in the second stage of the Ahvaz elections were also expected to attend this conference. However, according to this Islamic association, members of the 'Hope' list, the list supported by reformists, 'officially withdrew from attending the program due to the prevailing atmosphere,' yet the prosecutor's office issued a cancellation order for the event. Mustafa Moein, Minister of Science in the government of Mohammad Khatami, former President of Iran, was a candidate for some reformist groups, including the Participation Front and the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution in the 2005 presidential election. Mr. Moein was also a candidate in the 10th parliamentary elections in the Shiraz constituency but was disqualified. The statements from the student deputy and the 'Islamic Association of Students Following the Line of Imam' at Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences did not mention the cancellation of Ali Motahari's speech, a representative from Tehran in parliament, at this university. However, the Kalemeh website reported that both Ali Motahari's and Mustafa Moein's speeches at this university were canceled by the order of the 'Ahvaz prosecutor.' Last year, speeches by several political figures were either interrupted or canceled before they could take place. Among these were Elah Kolai's speeches in Shiraz and Arak, and the speeches of Rasul Montajebnia and Hadi Ghafari in Karaj, which were canceled 'due to threats from hardline forces' before they could occur. On Tuesday, December 7, 2015, speeches by Mohammad Ali Najafi and Mohsen Mehralizadeh at Allameh Tabatabai University were also canceled before they could take place due to the throwing of 'pepper spray' or 'tear gas' in the ceremony hall. On the same day, speeches by Azar Mansouri and Jahanbakhsh Khanjani, two reformist activists, at Shahid Chamran University in Ahvaz were also not held after a gathering of Basij student forces and their 'attack' on Azar Mansouri. Previously, there were attacks on Azar Mansouri's speech at Yasouj Azad University and Abdulvahed Mousavi Lari's speech in Qarchak. However, Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i, the spokesman for the judiciary, only recommended in response to the attacks on some of these speeches that speeches which might provoke reactions from certain groups and 'disturb the atmosphere' should not be held at all. Meanwhile, the court's ruling on the attack on Ali Motahari in Shiraz on March 9, 2015, sentenced six attackers to two years in prison and ten lashes 'suspended,' while two other attackers received four and a half months in prison and 37 lashes 'suspended,' which have been suspended for two years and one year, respectively. In 'suspended' sentences, if the accused is not convicted of a similar crime during the period determined by the court, the issued sentence will not be executed. Ali Motahari has implicitly identified his attackers in Shiraz and their 'commanders' as being affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, and his lawyer, Mostafa Torkhamdani, has reported that the 'commanders' of the attack on his client held 'military positions,' and the second part of this case is 'under investigation' in the military prosecutor's office of Fars province.