Zarghami: Broadcast of Confessions of 2009 Incident Suspects Was Ordered by the Supreme National Security Council

The former head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Ezzatollah Zarghami, stated that the forced confessions of several political figures arrested in connection with the protests following the 2009 presidential election were broadcast on television by order of the Supreme National Security Council. In an interview with the Shahrvand newspaper on Sunday, February 4, he said that from the perspective of the Supreme National Security Council, "broadcasting those trials and confessions" helped in the "management" of the 2009 protests. In response to a question about the "notification" of the Supreme National Security Council's order to IRIB for broadcasting these confessions, he stated: "It was more than a notification. They had very close cooperation with us. We also cooperated to maintain security in the country." Zarghami mentioned that all of this was based on the country's security resolutions. Some may have specific resolutions from the Security Council, while others follow decisions and procedures based on the resolutions of the Supreme National Security Council. If it is contrary, they will be challenged in the council. He also mentioned that he was "severely reprimanded" by the Supreme National Security Council for publishing certain news. Several political activists and protesters against the 2009 presidential election were tried in public courts that summer, and the sessions of these courts were broadcast on Iranian television. Shortly after the broadcast of these trials, several of the defendants claimed that their statements in court were due to multiple and prolonged torture. For instance, Abdollah Momeni, the spokesman for the Islamic Association of University Graduates, in a letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, described the "tortures" he endured, including "insulting and swearing, severe beatings, attempts to suffocate him to the point of unconsciousness, holding a prisoner's head in a toilet bowl, solitary confinement for 86 days, repeated threats of execution, threats of sexual harassment, and being forced by interrogators to practice for fabricated confessions." Hamzeh Karami, a close associate of Mehdi Hashemi, also reported in a letter to Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i, the Attorney General of Iran, about "psychological and physical torture for forced confessions." He mentioned "holding the head in a toilet bowl," "threats of rape," and "threats of using a bottle" as part of this torture. Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a deputy of Mohammad Khatami during his presidency, also stated that Saeed Mortazavi, the then Tehran prosecutor, informed him that his death sentence had been issued and asked him to write his will. After Sadegh Larijani's presidency over the judiciary in the summer of 2009, some Iranian media reported that the public broadcast of the trials of the protesters against this election was halted by his order. Meanwhile, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran prosecutor, acknowledged on November 6 that Article 188 of the Criminal Procedure Code was not observed during the broadcast of the trials of those accused of the 2009 election protests. According to civil law, the publication of non-public materials and trials is prohibited. Zarghami also mentioned in the interview that the election advertising commission for the 2009 presidential election decided that Mehdi Karroubi's campaign film would not be broadcast, but ultimately it was aired by order of the Supreme Leader. He added: "I personally asked the Leader, and the Leader deemed my cooperation necessary for a higher interest so that no one would have an excuse." The campaign film of Mehdi Karroubi included images of Emadeddin Baghi and some human rights activists, highlighting their support for this presidential candidate. According to reports from the meeting of representatives of the candidates in the 2009 presidential election with the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized these parts of Mr. Karroubi's campaign film in a conversation with Fatemeh Karroubi.