Tajzadeh: Institutions Under the Leader Are Either Corrupt or Contribute to Corruption

Mostafa Tajzadeh, a reformist political activist, in an open letter to Ahmad Tavakoli, a principlist political figure, has stated that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic is merely a 'flag bearer in the fight against corruption' in words and speeches, but in practice, he and his appointees are either 'themselves involved in corruption, like the judiciary,' or 'indirectly play a role in the spread of corruption; like the IRGC with its extensive involvement in economic affairs.' In his letter published on Sunday, March 18, he also wrote: 'The factional approach of the leadership and his appointees to corruption, where one must be punished and the other must be protected, has expanded the scope of corruption.' The former Deputy Minister of Interior in Mohammad Khatami's government pointed out that one of the mistakes of the 'revolution generation' was that they only considered the return of despotism in the form of the presidency and closed the path to 'his dictatorship,' stating: 'However, we did not pay attention that when we concentrate and manage the armed forces, the judiciary, the Guardian Council, the state media, and a significant part of the country's economy in the hands of one person, the likelihood that he will move towards autocracy is much greater.' About five days ago, Mostafa Tajzadeh tweeted that the trial of Gholamhossein Karbaschi, the former mayor of Tehran, and several of his associates in 1998 was carried out at the direct order of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, who stated that Karbaschi 'must know that there are more powerful figures than him.' This brief statement prompted a reaction from Ahmad Tavakoli, a former member of parliament and principlist political activist, who wrote on Saturday that 'this way of speaking does not resemble the leadership's language but contradicts his literature and conduct.' Indeed, Ahmad Tavakoli has criticized the 'systemization of corruption' in Iran several times over the past two years, warning that this factor will lead to the 'collapse of the system.' The supervisory role of the Guardian Council, the mass seizure of press outlets, the factional approach of the judiciary, the lack of accountability of institutions under the leader, and interference in the selection of cabinet members are other reasons that Mostafa Tajzadeh mentioned in rejecting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's serious determination to fight corruption. The publication of the notes by Ahmad Tavakoli and Mostafa Tajzadeh comes at a time when letters from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran, to Ayatollah Khamenei have recently been published, in which he also referred to the lack of accountability of the institutions affiliated with the leader. Mostafa Tajzadeh's letter has faced harsh reactions from some principlist activists on social media, with some calling for his arrest.