Judiciary Chief: Judiciary and Energy Ministry Have Conducted Illegal Construction on Chalus River Banks

The head of Iran’s Islamic Republic Judiciary announced on Monday, December 18, that several government agencies, including the government and the Judiciary itself, have conducted construction around 12 kilometers from the Chalus River banks.

According to Iranian media reports, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, speaking at a session of the Supreme Judicial Council and referring to “his observations of illegal constructions on the banks and bed of rivers during a trip to Alborz Province,” described these constructions as harmful to the environment and a threat to citizens’ health.

Referring to the fact that the Chalus River is one of Tehran’s drinking water sources, he called for warnings to “other agencies” and said: “One of the agencies that has conducted construction on the banks of the Chalus River is the Judiciary itself … and another agency is the Energy Ministry … and the first construction that should be demolished is the structure belonging to the Judiciary.”

The acknowledgment by the head of Iran’s Judiciary of government institutions’ involvement in illegal construction comes at a time when “land grabbing” has been raised in recent years as one of the main axes of corruption by officials and their associates.

On the second of Mehr, the head of the Environmental Faction of the Islamic Consultative Assembly reported widespread land grabbing and mountain grabbing in southern Mashhad, saying that two prominent companies are mentioned in the file of this land grabbing, and “some provincial officials of the previous government” are also present in them.

Source: Voice of America