Severe Attack by Principlists on Hashemi's Remarks about 'Harsh Behavior in Prisons'

One day after Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, head of the Expediency Discernment Council, implicitly criticized 'harsh behavior in Iranian prisons', several officials of the Islamic Republic reacted to his statements. The spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary called Mr. Hashemi's remarks 'contrary', the Minister of Interior of the Islamic Republic said, 'this is not the case', the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated, 'they want to change the place of oppression and justice', and a prominent member of parliament recommended that Hashemi Rafsanjani change his advisors. On April 23, Hashemi Rafsanjani, during a ceremony commemorating Khadijeh Saqafi, the wife of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, criticized those he called 'holy drys' and 'worriers', saying: 'Why is it that all our calamity is that it is said women come to the streets like this? ... But our issue is what happens to the oppressions, prisons, and suppressions, and what happens to the violations of rights?' Mr. Hashemi, referring to Ayatollah Khamenei's remarks during the tenth presidential election, where he called the people's vote 'a trust', said: 'When this is the leader's statement ... how do we justify preventing someone the people want from entering and bringing someone the people do not want and imposing him on them?' Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the first deputy and spokesperson of the Iranian judiciary, on April 24, reacted to the head of the Expediency Discernment Council's comments about the prison situation, stating: 'If this claim is unsubstantiated, it can be considered slander and public disturbance.' According to ISNA news agency, Mr. Ejei emphasized that 'we have always said if someone has evidence for such claims, they should present it', adding: 'Expressing such general issues is certainly against the law.' Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Minister of Interior of the Islamic Republic, also commented on this matter, stating that the Ministry of Interior is not responsible for prisons, but 'based on a report that Mr. Amoli Larijani provides in the Supreme National Security Council meetings about prisons, there has been no such thing, and on the contrary, they have expressed satisfaction with the constant oversight of prisons.' The Minister of Interior also clarified: 'Even in the recent meeting with law enforcement officials, I asked if there had been any reports of suppression and harsh treatment by the police, and they said there had not been a single case.' On the other hand, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, criticized Hashemi Rafsanjani for calling some individuals he described as 'concerned for the revolution' as 'holy drys and worriers'. According to Tasnim news agency, Mr. Jafari, on the sidelines of the farewell and introduction ceremony of the CEO of the IRGC Cooperative Foundation, stated: 'When it comes to the trial of the 'big fish', it is clear that the cries of 'woe to Islam', seeking justice, and complaints come from those who are under trial and their affiliates. They want to change the place of oppression and justice.' It seems that the IRGC commander's reference is to the trial of Mehdi Hashemi, the son of the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, which has been welcomed by principlists and criticized by Mr. Rafsanjani. The IRGC commander also criticized the use of the terms 'holy drys and worriers' in the remarks of the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, calling it 'a dangerous grudge against the value-driven current of the Islamic Revolution and the ideals of Imam Khomeini'. He also emphasized that 'continuing this kind of speech will only increase the community's hatred towards them, and these black portrayals only sow seeds of doubt in the hearts of those troubled by the revolution.' Ahmad Tavakoli, a principlist member of parliament, also severely criticized Hashemi Rafsanjani's remarks, considering 'one of his problems' to be that 'he bases his statements on those who are no longer alive'. According to Fars news agency, Mr. Tavakoli on Tuesday pointed out that 'this manner of behavior also questions the historical value of his memoirs', saying: 'I kindly recommend that he change his advisors and instead of nervous youth, benefit from seasoned supporters of the revolution, who are not few among his friends.' 'Harsh behaviors' in the prisons of the Islamic Republic have always been cited as one of the human rights violations in reports from various organizations, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran. Among the most notorious cases are the deaths of Mohsen Rouhalamini, Mohammad Kamrani, and Amir Javadi Far in the Kahrizak detention center during the protests following the 2009 presidential election. Several prisoners, including Abdollah Momeni, spokesperson for the student union, have described prison conditions including 'torture', 'forced confessions', and 'threats of sexual assault'.