Sadegh Amoli Larijani Removed from the Assembly of Experts

Iranian news agencies reported the removal of Sadegh Amoli Larijani from the Assembly of Experts due to insufficient votes in the recent elections. According to Iranian news sources citing the Ministry of Interior, among the five candidates from Mazandaran province in the sixth Assembly of Experts elections, Sadegh Amoli Larijani, head of the Expediency Discernment Council, came in fifth and will not return to the Assembly. Initial results also indicate that Ebrahim Raisi will continue to serve as the representative from South Khorasan in the Assembly. Raisi was unopposed in this province until a few days before the elections, as all other registered candidates were disqualified by the Guardian Council. In the final week before the elections, at the 'recommendation of the Guardian Council,' one of the approved candidates from another province changed their constituency to South Khorasan to create a 'rival' for Raisi. However, his election from this province was already predetermined. Some political analysts view the removal of Sadegh Larijani from the Assembly of Experts as part of a scenario to marginalize the Larijani brothers from the political landscape of the country, linking it to Sadegh Larijani's protest resignation from the Guardian Council. ISNA reported on September 6, 2021, that after the disqualification and the release of a series of tweets by Amoli Larijani indicating his disagreement with other Guardian Council members, some speculated that the removal of the remaining two Larijani brothers from the five political Larijani brothers in Iranian politics had begun. Following the announcement of the final candidates for the 2021 presidential elections by the Guardian Council, rumors circulated in Iranian media suggesting Amoli Larijani's criticism of the Guardian Council's performance; the absence of his signature alongside other Guardian Council members on the letter of Ebrahim Raisi's presidential credentials and his absence from the presidential inauguration further fueled these rumors. ISNA also noted that previously, Mohammad Javad Larijani had been dismissed from the head of the Human Rights Headquarters of the Judiciary by Ebrahim Raisi in 2019. Baqer Larijani, who had served as Deputy Minister of Health for years, was not retained in his position. Fazel Larijani was also sidelined from politics by Ahmadinejad following the publication of details of his meeting with Saeed Mortazavi. In the case of Amoli Larijani's resignation from the Guardian Council, some reported that Ali Khamenei was pleased with his resignation and believed that Khamenei was dissatisfied with his performance. According to this group's reasoning, in the appointment decree of Amoli Larijani in July 2001, Khamenei used a description like 'the esteemed scholar and researcher, Hojjat al-Islam Mr. Hajj Sheikh Sadegh Larijani, may his blessings be upon him,' but in the appointment of 'Hojjat al-Islam Khorasani' instead of 'Ayatollah' Larijani, only the phrase 'His Excellency Mr. Amoli, may his blessings be upon him' was used, which some believe indicates Khamenei's dissatisfaction with Amoli Larijani through this difference in language and the use of different titles. However, earlier, Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, appointed Sadegh Larijani as the new head of the Expediency Discernment Council after the death of Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi on January 1, 2019. He was also appointed as a member of the Guardian Council at that time. Shortly after, Ebrahim Raisi replaced Sadegh Larijani in the Judiciary. During the years that Sadegh Larijani was in the Judiciary, he was mentioned as a potential successor to Ali Khamenei, just as Ebrahim Raisi's name was often mentioned in this context as well. The media claimed a participation rate of over 40 percent in the elections, while the elections ended under the shadow of ambiguity regarding the voting process; the removal of the requirement to use identification cards was a notable issue. The Iranian Retirees Council stated that with widespread election boycotts, the massive 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement continues. Abram Pily noted that the people of Iran cannot express their true opinions at the ballot boxes. Some citizens, in conversations with VOA, stated that the elections are a charade and that they will not participate. Reactions to the elections included Prince Reza Pahlavi calling the Islamic Republic's 'election circus' a 'great deception.' There were scattered clashes and arrests during the elections, with users reporting the polling stations being 'empty.' The elections began under the shadow of boycott calls, with government threats and promises increasing.