Reactions of Rishahri to the Audio File of Executions: There Are Still Those Who Help the Mojahedin in the Office of Montazeri

Former Iranian Minister of Intelligence Mohammad Mohammadi Rishahri accused the office of Ayatollah Montazeri of having ties with the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) in relation to the release of an audio file regarding the 1988 executions. He stated that if the office is not connected to the MEK, then why are they attempting to cleanse the MEK and take revenge against Imam Khomeini, especially as the MEK has allied with Wahhabism? Rishahri emphasized that there are still individuals within that office who assist the MEK. He served as Minister of Intelligence during the political executions in 1988 and played a significant role in the arrest of Mehdi Hashemi, the son-in-law of Ayatollah Montazeri, which was cited as one reason for Montazeri's removal from the position of Deputy Leader. Previously, some officials, including Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a member of the committee that decided on the executions, have interpreted the release of Montazeri's audio file as an attempt to 'cleanse' the MEK and support this group. Ahmad Montazeri, the son of Ayatollah Montazeri, rejected these accusations, asserting that some individuals are distorting the issue. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, in a session of the Expediency Discernment Council, indirectly referred to the audio file, stating that one of the malicious goals of the enemies is to undermine the status of the late Ahmad Agha and the honorable office of the Imam in society. He stressed the need for vigilance to prevent adversaries from exploiting the situation. The audio file reveals that Ahmad Khomeini and the Ministry of Intelligence had planned the executions of political prisoners for years, with Ahmad Khomeini believing that all members of the MEK should be executed. Rafsanjani expressed regret over the new wave of attacks on Khomeini's character, noting that this wave is prevalent in foreign hostile media. Majid Ansari, a close associate of Ayatollah Khomeini, assessed the recent events as part of a complex international conspiracy to legitimize the MEK as a civil organization. The exact number of those executed in 1988 remains unclear, with estimates ranging from 1,879 to as high as 3,800. The MEK is accused of various terrorist acts against high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic, including bombings attributed to them.