Saeed Mortazavi Arrested and Sent to Prison

Iranian news agencies, citing judicial sources, report the arrest of Saeed Mortazavi, former Tehran prosecutor, who has been introduced to Evin Prison to serve a two-year sentence. ISNA news agency on Sunday, April 21, reported the arrest of Mortazavi in Mazandaran province and his transfer to Ward 241 of Evin Prison. A judicial source confirmed the arrest to IRNA news agency, stating that Mortazavi was apprehended in one of the cities in Mazandaran and is to be directly transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran. The state broadcaster also noted that Mortazavi had previously mentioned his request for the application of Article 477 and submission to the judiciary. According to this article, if the head of the judiciary finds a definitive ruling from any judicial authority contrary to 'Sharia', he can authorize a retrial and send the case to the Supreme Court for a definitive ruling. The news of Mortazavi's arrest comes after Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the judiciary spokesman, hinted at Mortazavi's disappearance on April 11, stating that they had not yet managed to apprehend him despite a warrant for his arrest. This statement sparked criticism regarding the judiciary's lack of will to deal with Mortazavi among political activists and social media users. Mortazavi faces multiple charges in two cases: 'Kahrizak' and 'Social Security'. He has been accused of complicity in the murder of three detainees during the protests following the 2009 presidential election results. After being sentenced to five years in prison for complicity in the murder of Mohsen Rouhalamini in Kahrizak detention center, the 22nd branch of the appeals court reduced his sentence to two years due to 'expressing remorse'. While the judiciary spokesman reported Mortazavi's disappearance, his lawyer, Saeed Ayubi, stated that 'Mr. Mortazavi is not missing; they should go and arrest him.' Ayubi also reacted to Ejei's comments about not being able to 'catch' his client, suggesting that the spokesman should answer this issue himself. On Sunday, Ayubi expressed ignorance about Mortazavi's arrest and clarified that his client was seeking the application of Article 477 and a review of the case by the head of the judiciary. Regarding the Kahrizak detention case, he claimed that 'non-prosecution and acquittal' had been issued for two of the victims, while surprisingly, a two-year prison sentence was issued for one individual. This sentence was communicated for execution on March 1, based on statements from Abdolhossein Rouhalamini, the father of Mohsen Rouhalamini, a victim in Kahrizak, but at that time, Mortazavi stated he was seeking a retrial. Ultimately, reports emerged in April regarding his unavailability for executing the sentence. The website Tabnak published a photo on April 15, claiming it was taken while Mortazavi was buying iron in the Khalazir area of Saveh. The next day, his wife, Homa Fallah Tafti, stated that he was in Tehran but 'was not at home.' Speculation continued regarding Mortazavi's potential flight from the country and the involvement of security and judicial officials until late April 30, when some media reported his arrest in Shahr-e Rey. However, the next morning, Ali Malakouti, the prosecutor of Shahr-e Rey, denied this news, stating that 'the dissemination of such baseless rumors creates public anxiety.' Mortazavi, who had judged many political and press cases before the Kahrizak incident, was dismissed from his judicial post in 2010 by the disciplinary court for judges. Nevertheless, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appointed him as the head of the Central Headquarters for Combating Drug Trafficking and Currency. Mortazavi also served as the head of the Social Security Organization in 2011. His two-year prison sentence relates to the Kahrizak detention case, while his case in the Social Security Organization, accused of 'illegal appropriation and negligence in performing duties', is under review in the appeals court.