Rouhani: My Inquiry to the Judiciary Regarding Khatami Has Gone Unanswered

On Saturday, Hassan Rouhani announced during an election speech in Tehran that he had written to the judiciary regarding the media ban on Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran, but had not received a response. According to ISNA, Rouhani stated that throughout his over three years in office, he had not written any letters for the benefit of any individual, except for one to the judiciary, asking, 'What law and for what reason have you banned the image of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami?' He emphasized that he had not received a response to this letter 'to date.' The presidential candidate mentioned that some claim that citizen rights are 'just a composition' and that efforts have been made to prevent the implementation of citizen rights and charters, reiterating that 'my pledge to the people and the youth of Iran is the implementation of citizen rights.' On Tuesday, May 18, he also protested Khatami's media ban and called the judiciary's claim that this order was issued based on a resolution from the Supreme National Security Council a 'lie.' Judicial officials claim that Khatami's media ban was enacted based on powers granted to the council's secretariat, but government officials have stated that there is no resolution regarding this matter. The issue of banning the publication of Khatami's image and news arose in winter 2014, when reports indicated that Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the public prosecutor of Tehran, warned media managers against publishing Khatami's image and name, threatening offenders with media closure. At the Saturday gathering at Azadi Stadium, Eshaq Jahangiri, another presidential candidate, promised that 'with the continuation of the government of hope and prudence, we will overcome these obstacles, and the difficult problems of Iran will be resolved through dialogue, understanding, and national cohesion.' Jahangiri assured the attendees that 'the leader of reform, Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, will always be present.' He also reminded the audience that 'in the debates, everyone spoke of freedom and human dignity, as if they were not the ones who were closing down newspapers en masse and pursuing gender segregation.' During Rouhani's election rally on Saturday, attendees once again voiced their demands for lifting the house arrest of the leaders of the 2009 election protests through chants. The demand to lift the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi has been repeated by attendees at Rouhani's election meetings, and Rouhani has emphasized in response to these chants that by participating again in the presidential elections, he will free 'our greats' from house arrest. Lifting the house arrest of the leaders of the 2009 protests was one of Rouhani's campaign promises in the 2013 elections, which he has been unable to fulfill after coming to power. Although in his Saturday speech he emphasized that he has fulfilled his promises, except for those that 'they have not allowed to be fulfilled.' Meanwhile, Rouhani's critics, including human rights monitoring organizations, have criticized the lack of improvement in human rights conditions and the continuation of pressure and repression in universities during his tenure, with Shirin Ebadi, a lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, asserting that Rouhani's record on legal freedoms is 'very weak.' On the same day, Mostafa Mir-Salim, another presidential candidate, stated: 'Some in Hamedan say for a few votes that our loved ones are under house arrest; therefore, if the leaders of the sedition are your loved ones, you are not qualified.' He added: 'In our view, a government should come to power that accepts the leadership's banner, meaning it should be a government fully believing in the guardianship of the jurist and capable ministers who are ready to sacrifice for the people and the revolution.' On the same day, Ebrahim Raisi, another candidate, referred to what he described as 'sedition' and 'deviation' as his two 'red lines.' Close associates of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic refer to the protests against the 2009 presidential election as 'sedition' and to close associates of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the 'deviationary current.' Raisi's Threat: 'My Chest is Full of Secrets' On Saturday, Ebrahim Raisi stated in a speech in Ardabil: 'Due to the jobs I have had, my chest is full of secrets. If I were to speak, no one could speak, but ethics and lawfulness do not allow me to speak.' Raisi is the prosecutor of the Special Court for Clergy and has previously served for years as the first deputy of the judiciary and the attorney general of the country. On Saturday, Raisi also responded to Rouhani's remarks about using the facilities of Astan Quds for campaign activities, stating that he has not been present at this institution since April 8. Rouhani had accused Raisi in the debate on Friday of using the facilities of Astan Quds Razavi for presidential election campaigning. He also implicitly accused the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other institutions under the Supreme Leader of acting in favor of Raisi in the elections. In response, Ali Saidi, the Supreme Leader's representative in the IRGC, reiterated on Saturday that this military institution has never interfered in any elections and will not interfere in the future.