Abolfazl Ghodousi Holds Khamenei Responsible for Isfahan Tragedy

The head of the judiciary called Isfahan and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari protesters “deceived” people under the influence of “enemy movements.” Abolfazl Ghodousi, however, states that “Iran’s despot today, Ali Khamenei,” is responsible for the bloody crackdown on Zayanderud sit-in protesters.

Mohseni Ejei, head of the Islamic Republic’s judiciary, referring to the peaceful protests by people in Isfahan and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, as well as several other cities due to officials’ mismanagement of the country’s water resources, said: “If ignorant or deceived individuals want to disrupt people’s security, people and military, security and law enforcement forces must act.”

He added: “Wherever people feel the enemy is behind the scenes, they come to the field to defend religion, the system, and the country.”

Mohseni Ejei indirectly threatened Isfahan protesters and Zayanderud sit-in participants with violent action, and recalled “9 Dey 88” as one of the sensitive periods when “people, with their timely presence on the scene, prevented the enemy from pursuing their scenario,” saying: “At that time, some people had demands that they were raising, but when they saw the enemy was behind the issue, they came to the field with enthusiasm and readiness and extinguished the fire of sedition and settled the matter.”

What Mohseni Ejei is recalling is the crackdown on Green Movement protesters on Ashura of 1988. In this regard, Commander Hossein Hamedani, who was later killed in Syria, provided his most documented account of the position and role of “ruffians and vagabonds” in suppressing Green Movement protesters. In 2015, in an interview, he said: “We identified 5,000 people who had a presence in the turmoil but did not have a presence in parties and political currents; rather, they were among the villains and ruffians, and we controlled them in their homes. When there was a call, these ones were controlled and were not allowed to leave their homes. Then I made these into units. Later, these three units demonstrated that if we want to train fighters, we must bring such people who deal with knives and clubs into the field.”

Aziz Jafari, then commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, in confirming Commander Hamedani’s report, said: “Foiling the enemy’s conspiracy during the 1988 sedition was another major activity that, by divine grace, was carried out by Commander Hamedani.”

“Khamenei is responsible for suppressing Isfahan people”

Abolfazl Ghodousi, an activist and political prisoner and one of the critics of the Wilayat al-Faqih government, holds Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, responsible for suppressing the peaceful protests in Isfahan and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari.

Ghodousi said in his statement in support of the protesters: “The system of religious despotism, headed by today’s despot of Iran, Ali Khamenei, ultimately could not tolerate the peaceful, non-violent, and civil protest sit-in of the honorable and brave people of Isfahan and was forced to reveal its anti-people, violent, and repressive nature once again. After setting fire to the tents of sit-in protesters at Zayanderud with tear gas and firing pellet bullets and batons, it attacked the protesters and beat them, seriously injuring many protesters and arresting many others. With naive thought, it believed it had extinguished the fire of the people’s legitimate protests.”

This political activist, who has been imprisoned multiple times for his criticisms of the Wilayat al-Faqih system, adds: “The government tried to create division between Isfahan protesters and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari protesters and, with this trick, divert the protests of the two provinces against itself, but the protesters wisely chanted ‘unity, unity’ and through this neutralized the government’s conspiracy.”

He concluded his statement by emphasizing that all attacking organs and their commanders who carried out the bloody attack on the peaceful, non-violent, and civil protests of the honorable people of Isfahan are responsible; “but the main culprit of this assault and the atrocities created is the tyrant Ali Khamenei of Iran, who must be held accountable.”

Source: DW