Wave of Changes at Islamic Azad University Reaches Its Media Managers

Ali Mohammad Nourian, the caretaker of Islamic Azad University, on Thursday, June 1, made changes to the media managers affiliated with the university, including the Ana News Agency, the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA), and the Farhikhtegan newspaper. Iranian media have described the sudden and coordinated change of media managers affiliated with Islamic Azad University as a continuation of the changes and transformations that have been underway since the dismissal of Hamid Mirzadeh, the former president of Islamic Azad University. Ali Akbar Velayati, the head of the Board of Trustees of Islamic Azad University, dismissed Hamid Mirzadeh in early May and introduced Ali Mohammad Nourian as the caretaker of the university. Mirzadeh's dismissal was met with reactions, including from Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and a member of the Board of Trustees of Islamic Azad University, who wrote a letter to Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, asking him to intervene in the issue of Mirzadeh's dismissal and the changes at the university. Hamid Mirzadeh claimed that his dismissal occurred without following legal formalities and voting in a meeting of the Board of Trustees with all members present. In response, Ali Akbar Velayati, an international affairs advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, who was appointed by Ayatollah Khamenei to head the Board of Trustees of Islamic Azad University, accused Mirzadeh of economic corruption, stating that the involvement of Mirzadeh's son in the economic affairs of some university units and the signing of large financial contracts had been raised even during the lifetime of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the former head of the Board of Trustees of this university, who had called for an investigation into these matters. In reaction to Velayati's statements, Mirzadeh issued a statement asking him to publish the documents he claimed. The dismissed president of Islamic Azad University emphasized in his statement that his children had no involvement in university affairs and large contracts and rejected the claim that he had forced the heads of some Islamic Azad University units to sign contracts and cooperate with certain companies. Recently, the dismissal of Yasser Hashemi, the youngest son of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani from the presidency of the Board of Trustees of Islamic Azad University, was also among the developments that made headlines and stirred controversy in Iranian media. Yasser Hashemi stated in an interview with ISNA that he had wished to continue his activities at Islamic Azad University, as he considers it his father's legacy, but according to him, 'the possibility of continuing cooperation' was not provided. He expressed happiness that 'at least in this matter [of his dismissal or resignation], a legal action was taken.' Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, the lawyer for the Hashemi Rafsanjani family, emphasized in an interview that Yasser Hashemi had resigned from his position as the head of the Board of Trustees' office simultaneously with Ali Akbar Velayati's entry into Islamic Azad University. Therefore, the change of media managers affiliated with Islamic Azad University that occurred on Thursday should be considered another link in these changes. According to the public relations office of Islamic Azad University, Ali Mohammad Nourian appointed Reza Vaezi as the caretaker of the Iranian Student News Agency, ISNA, replacing Hossein Habibzadeh. In another decree, Yasser Ahmadvand replaced Maryam Jamshidi at the Ana News Agency and took over its management. Yasser Ahmadvand was previously the executive director of the Islamic Revolution Publishers Association, replacing Maryam Jamshidi, who had worked in several newspapers and publications in recent years. The caretaker of Islamic Azad University, in another decree, appointed Mohammad Amin Imanjani as the editor-in-chief of the Farhikhtegan newspaper, succeeding Vahid Aghili. Mohammad Amin Imanjani has held positions such as director-general of the presidency of the Fars News Agency, director-general of public relations and international affairs of the Tasnim News Agency, and also director-general of audio and visual media of this news agency. Vahid Aghili is an experienced journalist and a professor of journalism who replaced Ehsan Mazandarani at Farhikhtegan in mid-May 2016. Ehsan Mazandarani is currently imprisoned in Evin. Given the backgrounds of the newly appointed managers at the head of the media affiliated with Islamic Azad University, it seems that Ali Mohammad Nourian has brought these media outlets closer to the political line of the principlists.