Severe Criticism from Motahari Against the Special Clerical Court and 'Restrictions' Imposed on Khatami

Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, on Friday, October 6, implicitly confirmed the news of 'restrictions' imposed on Mohammad Khatami, the former president, criticizing the actions of the Special Clerical Court. In a note published on his official website, Mr. Motahari also pointed out that public opinion in Iran is 'against the continuation of the house arrest' of the leaders of the Green Movement and expressed regret over a 'new house arrest.' The website Khabar Online, close to Mir Hossein Mousavi, reported on Thursday, October 5, that 'the Special Clerical Court sent a letter signed by the special prosecutor of the clergy, Ebrahim Raisi, to Mohammad Khatami's home, informing him that he should not participate in any political or promotional events for three months.' Shortly after, the Mehr News Agency quoted an 'informed source' stating that 'the reports regarding the new restrictions on Seyyed Mohammad Khatami are not accurate.' Meanwhile, Mohammad Reza Tabesh, a representative from Ardakan and Deputy Speaker of the Hope Faction in Parliament and Khatami's nephew, also expressed regret over the new restrictions on the former president without providing details. The news of further restrictions on Mohammad Khatami comes at a time when Ali Motahari himself, less than two weeks ago, expressed hope for a formal vote in the Supreme National Security Council regarding lifting the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders, stating that the Supreme Leader's opinion on their house arrest may have changed. In response to these recent news, Ali Motahari described these new 'restrictions' as 'illegal' and even questioned the existence of the institution that made these decisions, namely the Clerical Court. According to the Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, 'some councils and institutions like the Special Clerical Court circumvent the Constitution and Parliament and lead the country toward autocracy,' institutions that 'sometimes do not even exist in the Constitution and were created for a temporary need corresponding to the early conditions of the revolution.' He also wrote: 'In today's society, where America is likely to exit the JCPOA in ten days and is waiting for a human rights excuse, do those who make such decisions do so out of ignorance or do they have a plan to perhaps hasten the end of the JCPOA?' Ali Motahari, a principlist representative, has always been one of the staunch critics of the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders, which has continued for six years. Mohammad Khatami faced restrictions after the wave of protests against the results of the 2009 presidential election, which was declared in favor of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and judicial officials announced in the winter of 2014 that the publication of photos and news related to Mohammad Khatami was prohibited. No official has yet confirmed or denied the news of further restrictions or house arrest for Mr. Khatami.