The Reason for the IRGC's Complaint Against the 'Self-Directed' Individuals in Shiraz

The newspaper Shargh in its Thursday issue pointed out that 'the friendship between Tehran and Damascus has always been described with terms such as ancient, brotherly, and strategic, but the costly attribute should also be added.' The article mentions 'the embodiment of this attribute' is the news published on Wednesday about 'the second credit line of one billion dollars between Tehran and Damascus.' The newspaper noted that 'the history of such credit lines and financial aids goes back to previous years,' referring to the signing of the 'one billion dollar credit line' agreement from Iran to Syria on January 17, 2013, and recalling that 'in June 2013, the state newspaper Tishrin, published in Damascus, reported that Tehran had opened two credit lines worth four billion dollars for Damascus,' according to Adib Mayaleh, the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria. The newspaper Arman reported that according to the head of the Welfare Organization, '30 percent of urban residents' and '40 percent of the rural population' in Iran live 'below the poverty line.' The newspaper Iran reported that Ali Motahari's lawyer stated that the IRGC has also filed a complaint against the attackers of Ali Motahari. Mostafa Torkhamdani, Motahari's lawyer, explained the reason for the 'IRGC's complaint' in this case to the Iran newspaper, saying: 'In general, because those who attacked were attributed to an organization, this led the IRGC to send a representative to the prosecutor's office to file its complaint.' The newspaper Shargh published 'untold stories of Shiraz Airport' regarding the details of the cancellation of Elah Kolayi's speech in March at Shiraz University, quoting her as saying: 'How can we talk about drafting citizens' rights when a simple teacher in this country is not even allowed to give a speech with university permission?' Elah Kolayi stated: 'My advice to high-ranking officials of the country, who have taken the people's vote of confidence and are seated in power, is not to forget history and not to forget their written election promises.' Gholamreza Zarifian, the Deputy Minister of Science during the reformist era, spoke to the newspaper Aftab Yazd about the discovery of a 32 billion tomans corruption case in the Ministry of Science during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, stating: 'In no period of the history of higher education, from the establishment of universities in Iran to the previous government where so many issues occurred, was there any discussion of money laundering or embezzlement and irregularities like illegal scholarships to this extent in academic discussions.' The Deputy Minister of Science during the reformist era noted that 'we know that such irregularities are not limited to higher education and we have witnessed various reports of financial irregularities in other areas that have also been unprecedented.' Aftab Yazd also reported on its front page: 'Forty days after the news of the 'assault on two Iranian teenagers at Jeddah Airport' was published, and while 'the Saudi security forces have still not been punished, the advertising for the Umrah pilgrimage has begun.' The newspaper Etemad dedicated its front page photo to Bijan Zanganeh, the Minister of Oil, and in a report titled 'Zanganeh's Signal to Oil Giants,' quoted the oil minister regarding Iran's future collaborations with other countries, stating: 'We have moved past those who left us alone in the harsh conditions of sanctions and hope to work with them after the sanctions are lifted so that Iran becomes the number one oil industry in the region.' The newspaper Javan reported that according to Hossein Ashtari, the commander of the police force, the implementation of the 'social security plan' continues. According to this newspaper, Ashtari stated at the morning ceremony of the police forces in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province: 'The implementation of social security enhancement plans with appropriate equipment is ongoing across the country and will not be halted under any circumstances; these plans will continue with authority.' This newspaper also published photos of 'the pardon of a death row convict' on its front page, reporting that the father of a victim named 'Mohsen Dehghani' pardoned his son's killer moments before execution. The newspaper Javan referred to the victim of this case as a 'martyr Basij member' and reported that 'Mohsen Dehghani was shot dead in 2010 during a Basij checkpoint mission.' The statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic regarding 'nuclear negotiations' have also received widespread coverage in Iranian newspapers. The newspaper Etemad reported on its front page quoting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying: 'I oppose negotiations under the shadow of threats.' However, the newspaper Shargh reported that Ali Akbar Velayati, the international advisor to the Supreme Leader, evaluated these statements on Wednesday, saying that Ayatollah Khamenei meant that 'negotiators should continue their negotiations while adhering to the outlined red lines but should never succumb to American threats.' Kayhan also published on its front page with the title 'Negotiation under the shadow of threats makes no sense,' quoting the Supreme Leader as saying: 'Foreign policy officials and negotiators must carefully adhere to the main red lines and, while continuing negotiations, must defend the dignity and stature of the Iranian nation and not yield to any imposition, coercion, humiliation, or threats.' The newspaper Shargh in its Thursday issue has a report about 'the cardboard homelessness of a 7-month-old and a 1-year-old child' in Tehran, and the newspaper Etemad also reported on 'the people's reaction to the installation of artistic images on the billboards of the capital,' stating: 'In this project, more than 700 artistic works, including 500 domestic and 200 foreign artworks, have been displayed on 1,600 billboards and advertising spaces in Tehran.' 'The second credit line of one billion dollars between Tehran and Damascus' The newspaper Shargh emphasized that 'the friendship between Tehran and Damascus has always been described with terms such as ancient, brotherly, and strategic, but the costly attribute should also be added,' stating: 'The embodiment of this attribute' is the news published on Wednesday about 'the second credit line of one billion dollars between Tehran and Damascus.' According to this newspaper, Adib Mayaleh, the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria, reported that 'this country and Iran are negotiating the second one billion dollar credit line' and told 'Bloomberg' that 'the Iranian government has announced initial approval for this credit line, which is the second credit line since 2013.' Shargh quoted the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria as saying: 'This country still has funds from the first one billion dollar agreement with Iran, which helps to cover imports.' The newspaper reported: 'Negotiations for the second one billion dollar credit line for Syria are taking place while four years of war in Damascus have destroyed the country's infrastructure, and according to the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria, the Syrian pound, which was traded at 50 pounds to the dollar before the war, was traded at 280 pounds to the dollar on Tuesday.' The report from the newspaper Shargh reminded that 'this is the second one billion dollar credit line from Iran for Syria that is set to be opened, but the history of such credit lines and financial aids goes back to previous years,' referencing the signing of the 'one billion dollar credit line' on January 17, 2013, by 'Mohammad Reza Rahimi, the first vice president of Iran, and Wael al-Halqi, the Prime Minister of Syria.' The newspaper Shargh also referred to two credit lines worth 'four billion dollars,' stating: 'In June 2013, the state newspaper Tishrin, published in Damascus, reported that Tehran had opened two credit lines worth four billion dollars for Damascus and expected to open another credit line to counter the effects of international sanctions.' According to this report, the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria had previously stated about the details of the two 'four billion dollar' credit lines: 'Iran continues to support Syria by opening a one billion dollar credit line to cover the costs of importing various items and another credit line worth three billion dollars to cover the costs of purchasing gasoline and related goods. Iran is also examining a loan of three billion dollars to strengthen the Syrian economy.' The newspaper Shargh in its Thursday issue regarding the new 'one billion dollar credit line' from Iran to Syria stated: 'This time, however, there is not much information available about the new credit line that is being negotiated, except that the extensive visits of Syrian officials to Tehran can be seen as a sign of negotiations for obtaining this line.' The head of the Welfare Organization; '30 percent of urban residents below the poverty line' The newspaper Arman reported that according to the head of the Welfare Organization, '30 percent of urban residents' and '40 percent of the rural population' in Iran live 'below the poverty line.' According to this newspaper, Anoushiravan Mohseni-Bandpay, the head of the Welfare Organization, stated on Wednesday during a conference on 'social work, social responsibility' that 'according to the World Bank report, in 1978 the poverty line index in Iran was 40 percent, in 1997 it was 20 percent, and in 2005 it was 11 percent.' He mentioned that 'in recent years, this statistic has increased again, and the number of people living below the poverty line in urban society in 2012 was 30 percent and in rural society 40 percent.' The newspaper Arman simultaneously quoted Dariush Ghanbari, a former member of parliament, emphasizing that 'the poverty line varies in different regions of the country,' and in Tehran and urban areas, the income level below the poverty line is determined, while the same income in rural areas is not considered below the poverty line. Dariush Ghanbari told this newspaper: 'Accurate statistics should be provided in this regard. In my opinion, in Tehran, for a family of four, an income below two and a half million tomans is considered below the poverty line, while in a rural area, an income of one million tomans is considered below the poverty line.' According to this former parliament member, 'expenses are not the same in all areas. Rent in Tehran takes a large part of the income. In rural areas, these costs are lower. Those who live in rural areas and cities can meet many of their minimum needs with a lower income. To determine the poverty line, precise fieldwork needs to be done to obtain accurate statistics and information.' The newspaper Arman quoted Dariush Ghanbari as saying: 'Given the economic problems of the country and the issue of sanctions, there is a possibility of an increase in poverty in recent years. Given the relative stability that is occurring in the economy, it can be hoped that better conditions will be created for those living below the poverty line. Eradicating poverty and controlling it depend on the gross national product and income distribution. The eleventh government has taken appropriate measures, but the reality of poverty cannot be denied.' The reason for the IRGC's complaint against the 'self-directed' individuals in Shiraz The newspaper Iran reported that according to Ali Motahari's lawyer, the IRGC has also filed a complaint against the attackers of Ali Motahari. Mostafa Torkhamdani, Motahari's lawyer, explained the reason for the 'IRGC's complaint' in this case to the Iran newspaper, saying: 'In general, because those who attacked were attributed to an organization, this led the IRGC to send a representative to the prosecutor's office to file its complaint.' Earlier, the newspaper Shargh reported on April 15 about the publication of 'a strange video on social networks' in which an individual named Rezmadar Hosseini, the deputy operations commander of the IRGC's Ahmad ibn Musa Basij in Shiraz, introduced himself as the 'savior' of Ali Motahari. Motahari's lawyer, in response to the Iran newspaper's question about whether there is a connection between the IRGC's complaint and this video, stated: 'All of these are interconnected; both the attack that occurred and the video that was published. However, regarding the video in question, Ramadan Sharif denied the attribution of this video to the IRGC.' Motahari's lawyer regarding whether a criminal charge will be issued for several individuals in the case of the attack on Ali Motahari told the Iran newspaper: 'The number of identified individuals is different from those for whom a criminal charge will be issued.' He continued: 'When Mr. Motahari sought refuge at the police station due to the severity of the attack, the number of people present was more than 100, but not all of these individuals are identifiable by the responsible authorities. Nevertheless, the faces of those who carried out the main attacks, directly insulted, sprayed pepper spray, or damaged the vehicle, have been completely identified, and their names and addresses have been determined, and ultimately they have been arrested.' He added: 'Appropriate measures have been issued for these individuals, and we are waiting for the issuance of criminal charges for these individuals, which, according to the investigating judge, will be issued soon.' The newspaper also reported on the complaint of the taxi driver carrying Ali Motahari for damages and simultaneously referred to 'ambiguity regarding the presence of Shiraz University officials in court.' According to the newspaper, 'university officials and students of Shiraz, who have been complained against, it is not clear which organizations or individuals are the complainants, but it seems that they should also appear in court regarding this case like other defendants.' Mostafa Torkhamdani, Motahari's lawyer, expressed hope that 'such an event does not happen' in response to the question of whether, in addition to the attackers, charges might also be issued against university administrators, and told the Iran newspaper: 'As Mr. Motahari's lawyer, I verbally informed the investigating judge that we do not have a complaint, and I provided reasons that these individuals may not have a criminal title.' Elah Kolayi: Government officials should neither forget history nor their election promises.