Sadegh Larijani: Legal Action Will Be Taken Against Defamation and Destruction of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, the head of the judiciary, criticized the labeling of some cases as 'political' and threatened that legal action would be taken against 'defamation and destruction' of the judiciary to put an end to it. This statement came after Hamid Reza Baghaei, the executive assistant of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, described his trial as political. According to the state news agency IRNA, Larijani told judicial officials that 'the basis for summons and proceedings must be religious, legal, and just, and after that, do not fear any kind of atmosphere creation, attack, or destruction in the real and virtual space.' He referred to what he called 'strange attacks' against the judiciary in recent years and months, adding that 'unfortunately, today the virtual space has become a tool for these attacks and atmosphere creation against the judiciary.' He further stated, 'If the judiciary is to be accused of political maneuvering every time it pursues someone, we might as well shut down the judiciary.' Larijani emphasized that 'these actions and atmosphere creations are not limited to one group or political line, but come from both the left and right, one under the pretext of seeking justice and the other under the title of enjoining good and forbidding wrong.' He also noted that individuals accused of financial corruption accuse the judiciary of political action. Larijani did not provide details on what he referred to as the 'attack' on this institution. Last year, the issue of the judiciary head's 'personal accounts' received widespread attention. Additionally, in recent weeks, a report by the Amad News website regarding 'Zahra Larijani's espionage,' the daughter of the judiciary head, has gained significant attention, although Larijani and judiciary officials, as well as the Minister of Intelligence, have denied this report. Meanwhile, one day before Larijani's remarks, Baghaei, after his court session, sarcastically stated, 'I neither have 63 personal accounts, nor is my daughter a British spy, nor is my brother corrupt.' He also labeled his trial as 'political' and denied the charges against him. Previously, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had linked the arrests of his associates, including Baghaei, and his own case to the upcoming presidential elections and, according to him, 'Ali Larijani's candidacy' in these elections. In this context, the head of the judiciary considered the 'destruction' against this institution in Iran to be 'in line with the work of foreign destroyers,' who, according to him, 'are connected to the intelligence services of foreign countries.' He threatened that legal action would be taken against those who use the virtual space to 'defame and destroy' in order to prevent the handling of their cases 'to put an end to this situation.' Previously, there had been verbal confrontations between Baghaei and judiciary officials. Mr. Baghaei, upon his release from prison this summer, harshly attacked the judiciary, calling Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i, the spokesperson for the judiciary, a 'liar' and stated that 'you will soon be overthrown.' These remarks led to the formation of another case against him. Baghaei was arrested in 2015 on charges of 'embezzlement,' and afterward, individuals close to Ahmadinejad reported that he was released on the orders of the Supreme Leader. He was also arrested in July of this year and released on a bail of 20 billion tomans. Baghaei, along with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had run for the presidential election in 2017, but the Guardian Council rejected their qualifications.