Separate Meetings of the Hope Faction with the Minister of Intelligence and Ismail Bakshi

A member of parliament reported on separate meetings of the Hope Faction of the Islamic Consultative Assembly with the Minister of Intelligence and Ismail Bakshi, the representative of the workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company. A delegation from this faction is also set to travel to Shush to investigate the issue of "torture" of Mr. Bakshi. This news comes after the Ministry of Intelligence denied the allegations of Bakshi's torture during detention, but Sepideh Gholian, a civil activist who was detained alongside Bakshi, stated that she is willing to testify in court regarding the "tortures" faced by the Haft Tappeh workers' representative. Fatemeh Saidi, the spokesperson for the Hope Faction, announced the separate meetings of the faction members with the Minister of Intelligence and Bakshi and his lawyer, adding, "We will announce the results of the investigations after the judiciary and the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission review Bakshi's claims." According to Ms. Saidi, in these meetings, the Minister of Intelligence provided explanations regarding the issue of Bakshi's "torture," and the director-general of intelligence in Khuzestan province also presented "documents." This representative, without referring to the details of these "explanations and documents," stated that the members of the Hope Faction also "listened" to Bakshi's statements and that "our follow-ups regarding his claims continue." She also announced the travel of a delegation from this faction to Shush to investigate the matter, stating that they would provide a final assessment on the issue. The separate meetings of the Hope Faction with the Minister of Intelligence and Ismail Bakshi were held while it was previously planned for both to attend a session of the National Security Commission of the parliament. However, after Hoshmatollah Falahatpisheh, the head of this commission, quoted the Minister of Intelligence denying Bakshi's "torture," Bakshi was not invited to this session. Meanwhile, Ismail Bakshi has invited the Minister of Intelligence to participate in a live televised debate, but Mahmoud Alavi has not yet responded to his request. Sepideh Gholian, a civil activist who was detained with Ismail Bakshi and several Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers in November and was imprisoned for nearly a month, described the torture of herself and Ismail Bakshi on her Twitter page on Wednesday, January 19. Ms. Gholian stated that intelligence agents, during a meeting on Tuesday of this week, considered the issue of torture to be a result of "delusions of hers and Ismail Bakshi," writing: "Recalling 30 days of inhumane and barbaric behavior can still wet her eyes and shake her body. During the arrest, Ismail Bakshi tried to pull me out from under the blows of the agents, but he was beaten so badly that he lost consciousness." Although it was previously announced that Hassan Rouhani also issued an order for a thorough and swift investigation into the issue of Bakshi's "torture," Mahmoud Vaezi, the head of the Iranian president's office, stated that "this right will be considered for the Ministry of Intelligence and the system" to file a "complaint" against Ismail Bakshi, one of the representatives of the Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers, adding that it cannot be that "some make claims and the system is questioned."