Turkan Calls for Judicial Action Against Ahmadinejad Government Officials

Akbar Turkan, senior advisor to Hassan Rouhani, stated that the judiciary should prosecute officials from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government for purchasing bonds from the United States and investing in this 'hostile country.' On Tuesday, April 25, in an interview with the Islamic Republic's official news agency, IRNA, Turkan criticized Ahmadinejad's government in response to the seizure of two billion dollars of Iranian assets by the U.S. judiciary, asserting that this government must be held accountable for its investments in America. He referred to the U.S. as a 'hostile country.' Turkan pointed out the wave of criticism from the parliament towards Rouhani's government and the formation of a commission regarding the JCPOA, questioning why the parliament did not address Ahmadinejad's bond purchases in the U.S. He deemed the investment in America illegal and insisted that the judiciary must intervene and investigate Ahmadinejad's actions. Turkan also specifically mentioned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's name in the Panama Papers, asserting that the role of Ahmadinejad's government in these documents should be examined. In one of his criticisms, Turkan referred to the 35 billion dollars of central bank resources that were misused by the 'Niko Company,' which has now become a debt for Rouhani's government. The Niko Company (Iran Oil Trade Company) is the parent company of Petropars, which has been mentioned several times in the Panama Papers related to money laundering and tax evasion. Turkan's critical interview addressed many other issues inherited by Rouhani's government, which is still dealing with them. Previously, other officials from Rouhani's government, such as Hamid Baidi-Nejad, director general of political and international affairs at the Foreign Ministry, labeled Ahmadinejad's bond purchases as reckless and irresponsible in response to the seizure of Iranian assets. Baidi-Nejad described the failure to withdraw Iranian assets and their retention in Citibank, USA, after the gradual imposition of sanctions as 'ignorance' and 'clear recklessness' of Ahmadinejad's government. The U.S. judiciary ruled that the frozen amount should be paid to the families of victims of the 1983 bombings at the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut and other attacks related to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on April 20 to pay two billion dollars in compensation from Iranian assets. Later, this two billion dollars was withdrawn from Iranian assets in Citibank, money that had been used to purchase bonds during Ahmadinejad's administration and remained in this bank. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, described this action and the withdrawal of Iranian money as theft of Iranian assets and illegal. In this context, Iran protested the Supreme Court's ruling for the payment of two billion dollars in compensation, with Zarif stating that Iran does not recognize the Supreme Court's ruling. The Central Bank of Iran reacted to the Supreme Court's ruling, calling it a 'clear violation.'