Truth and Lies from the Deputy Head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization

Hosseini Nejat, who has recently become the deputy head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization, in his first public statement, linked the illegal house arrest of the leaders of the Green Movement to their support for "Bashar al-Assad's opponents." This senior military-security official stated that Mousavi, Karroubi, and Rahnavard are under house arrest because in Bahman 1389 (February 2011) they "called on the people to come to the streets and express solidarity with the detainees in Syria." The deputy head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization, which is one of the two main security and intelligence agencies of the Islamic Republic, has clearly distorted the truth, and more precisely mixed "truth and lies." Although Hosseini Nejat attributed the Green Movement leaders' call to a false narrative of Syrian protests, he revealed the depth of attention and the importance of the continuation of Assad's repressive regime for the Islamic Republic. The security official is lying; because the Green Movement leaders' call was specifically aimed at supporting the democracy-seekers in Tunisia and Egypt. Mousavi and Karroubi sent a brief letter to the then-Minister of Interior in Bahman 1389 stating: "In order to express solidarity with the popular movements in the region, especially the freedom-seeking uprising of the people of Tunisia and Egypt against the dictatorial government in the country, we request permission to invite a public rally according to Article 27 of the Constitution in support of the uprising of the people of these two Muslim countries on Monday, Bahman 25, at 3 PM from Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square." Although democracy-seekers in some other countries in the region (including Libya, Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen) had publicly protested against the ruling autocrats, they had not yet succeeded like Tunisia and Egypt. At the time of the Green Movement leaders' request, "Ben Ali" in Tunisia had relinquished power, and in Egypt, Hosni Mubarak was on the verge of falling. In other words, Hosseini Nejat has significantly distorted the truth and engaged in falsehood; however, not all of his statements are incorrect. Hosseini Nejat links the arrest of the Green Movement leaders to the rally of Bahman 25, 1389. He emphasizes that the house arrest of Mousavi, Karroubi, and Rahnavard occurred one year—and more precisely, 20 months—after the 1388 election coup. Nejat attempts to justify the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders by exploiting the prevailing governmental propaganda atmosphere in Iran and utilizing the Islamic Republic's military intervention in the Syrian crisis and the ongoing catastrophe in that country. However, this military-security official does not reveal the underlying thoughts and security assessments behind his statements; where the prevailing autocracy in Iran becomes fearful of a million-strong rally and the revival of street protests, leading to the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders. Nejat does not mention that the core of power became alarmed by the meaningful presence of hundreds of thousands of citizens on Bahman 25, following the call of the Green Movement leaders, and found a solution in their house arrest. This senior security official also does not explain how the central power has learned from the fate of Ben Ali in Tunisia and Mubarak in Egypt and has sought to prevent the continuation of protests and the emergence of a crisis for its undemocratic authority. Two years ago (Azar 1393), Saeed Jalili, the former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, also stated in a similar comment that the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders was realized because "we saw these individuals were shaping a new sedition." He acknowledged last fall that the Green Movement leaders "20 months after the elections wanted to turn this opportunity into a threat and place the Iranian regime alongside dictatorial governments." In other words, the fundamental problem for the autocrats in the Islamic Republic is the renewed uprising of protesters and the Green Movement coinciding with the emergence of protest movements in some countries in the region. Another notable point in the context of Hosseini Nejat's important remarks is the renewed emphasis by a security official on the link between Tehran and Damascus. The deputy head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization has directly and indirectly acknowledged how sensitive the Iranian autocrats are to the fate of Bashar al-Assad. Although he attributed the Green Movement leaders' call to a false narrative of Syrian protests, he revealed the depth of attention and the importance of the continuation of Assad's repressive regime for the Islamic Republic. This senior security official has also reaffirmed the "strategic depth" of the top of the political system in Iran. The bitter and noteworthy aspect of the matter is that such evaluations and security reports (like those made by Hosseini Nejat) form the basis for decision-making and security actions of the central power. Hosseini Nejat, who has brazenly distorted the truth, was previously the commander of the IRGC's Vali Amr (responsible for protecting the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic) and is now the deputy of this security-intelligence organization with the approval of the system's top figure, succeeding Taeb (the head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization). In other words, it is Ayatollah Khamenei who gradually promotes political and security actors aligned with him within the system and reproduces autocracy and despotism. The anti-democrats in Iran, by linking themselves to the repressive regime of Damascus and emphasizing the continuation of the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders, demonstrate how much they insist on relying on weapons and repression, and how indifferent they are to the necessities and standards of democracy (including the freedom of opponents and free, fair, and just elections).