Promise from a Member of the Supervisory Board on the Conduct of Representatives to Investigate Allegations of 'Assault' Against a Member of Malekan

A member of the Supervisory Board on the Conduct of Representatives of the Parliament promised that this board will investigate the allegation of 'assault' against Salman Khodadadi, the head of the Social Committee of the Parliament, by Zahra Navidpour in its next session. Alireza Salimi said in an interview with Fars News Agency on Friday, January 21, that 'so far, no substantial evidence has been presented to us.' Salimi's remarks come as Zahra Navidpour had previously stated in a video file that she had filed a complaint against the head of the Supervisory Board and the security of the Parliament. However, this member of the Supervisory Board mentioned that 'our information is only at the level of what has been circulated in cyberspace.' According to Salimi, if a member of the Parliament or another individual files a complaint regarding the allegation of 'assault' by the representative of Malekan and head of the Social Committee against Zahra Navidpour, the Supervisory Board will investigate the matter 'specifically and specially.' He also stated: 'In our next meeting, we will raise this issue and ask for explanations from Salman Khodadadi.' Salimi added: 'If such a matter is not true, it would be a manipulation of the Parliament, and if it is true, necessary and serious actions will be taken.' Previously, the Islamic Association of Students from universities in Tabriz, Tabriz Azad University, Shahid Madani of Azerbaijan, and Sahand Industrial University had written a letter to Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Parliament, requesting an investigation into the allegations against Salman Khodadadi, the representative of Malekan. The body of Zahra Navidpour was found on Sunday, January 16, at her mother's home in Malekan, and the prosecutor's office of Malekan announced that the cause of her death was 'apparently' suicide. This woman, a resident of Malekan, had claimed that she wrote a letter to Salman Khodadadi seeking work, and he later contacted her, asking her to deliver her documents to his office in Tehran and outside the Parliament. She stated that Salman Khodadadi 'assaulted' her in that office. Before her death, Zahra Navidpour had claimed that she was threatened multiple times by Masoud Hashem Pour, Khodadadi's nephew and the legal affairs manager of Tabriz Municipality, as well as Kamal Khushpayman, an agent of the Ministry of Intelligence. She also reported that the IRGC, the Ministry of Intelligence, and the Guardian Council had received documents related to this matter but did not take any action and 'withdrew.' Navidpour had stated that Khodadadi had accepted in court that 'the audio files related to the threats are his own voice, and the judge had released him on bail.' The website HRANA, the news organ of human rights activists in Iran, reported in June that this year 'at least two allegations of assault and sexual harassment' had been made against Salman Khodadadi. Khodadadi was arrested at the end of the seventh Parliament term and while he had also been elected to the eighth Parliament, on charges of 'moral corruption and illicit relations.' After that, several members of Parliament, including Fatemeh Rahbar, protested Khodadadi's credentials, but ultimately the Parliament voted in favor of his credentials. According to reports, Khodadadi was accused of 'assaulting' his office secretary 'outside the Parliament' and sexually harassing a young woman who visited his office in the Parliament. Khodadadi has previously denied the allegations against him and accused 'some officials and malicious rivals from past periods' of fabricating the case. Khodadadi has been a representative in the Islamic Consultative Assembly during the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and tenth terms. Before becoming a representative, he held positions such as commander of the IRGC in Malekan, deputy of the General Directorate of Intelligence of East Azerbaijan Province, and head of the Intelligence Department of Ardabil. He currently heads the Social Committee of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and is also the head of the rowing federation of Tehran province.