“Khamenei is responsible for turning Corona into a national disaster”

Dozens of university professors and political and civil activists have issued a statement blaming Khamenei and his conspiracy-oriented outlook for the exponential spread of the coronavirus in Iran, and have called Rouhani a follower and listener to his orders in the cover-up.

Referring to the death of one Iranian every ten minutes due to the coronavirus, one hundred university professors and political and social activists have identified the initial cover-ups by the Islamic Republic government and its security forces as the cause of the exponential spread of the disease and the loss of lives of citizens, and have challenged Ayatollah Khamenei's conspiracy-centric view.

The statement states that the lives of every single Iranian citizen have been taken hostage by the leader of the regime, his advisors, and the military-security forces: “…we are witnessing the highest and most powerful person in the government, who makes all important decisions, defending the ridiculous theory of biological terror with a conspiracy-based view to justify the unwise decision to reject some global aid. In the midst of this crisis, which is also bringing the leader of the regime’s demons to join his perennial enemies, the help of Doctors Without Borders is being rejected. And in a situation where funerals have been banned for all citizens, the military, under the command of the leader, is holding a funeral in the middle of the city for the death of the IRGC commander from coronavirus, and is calling this act spontaneous, with complete deception, by insulting the citizens’ intelligence.”

In his latest televised speech, which replaced his Nowruz speech, the Leader of the Islamic Republic described the coronavirus as a creation of the United States with the intention of hurting Iranians. He rejected foreign aid and stated: “… America may send products to Iran in the form of medical aid that will make the virus last.”

The signatories of the statement write that the “government that listens to orders” has also followed this policy and is not taking the necessary measures despite warnings from health and medical officials: “… In the meantime, it is the Iranian people and the country’s dedicated medical staff who are paying the price for this kind of stupidity and incompetence. As for low-income groups, they are currently being given nothing but promises… Politicians everywhere in the world have listened to the words and instructions of experts. In Iran, however, it is the experts who must listen to the orders and instructions of political and military officials.”

The Iranian Ministry of Health has stated that the latest number of coronavirus victims as of Sunday, April 10, is 2,640, while the aggregation of death statistics in the provinces and information from independent media and eyewitnesses shows a figure at least twice this amount.

The statement, citing three priorities: preventing the rapid spread of the virus, resolving the issue of lack of financial resources and equipment, and providing financial support to vulnerable groups, raises the question of whether the resources of the foreign exchange reserve fund, which belongs to all Iranians, should be spent on the Quds Force or on protecting the health of the people.

The authors of the statement ask: "Can't a government that suppresses the slightest popular protest control and minimize intra-city and inter-city traffic? Should the funds of institutions and organizations such as Astan al-Quds, the Foundation for the Oppressed, and the Imam's Executive Headquarters be spent only on the Arbaeen procession and the House of the Supreme Leader?"

Preventing international aid to the Iranian people, obstructing the release of political prisoners or arresting journalists and cyberspace activists, and promoting superstition on the Iranian Broadcasting System instead of raising awareness are among the points raised in this article.

The authors of the statement said that the Leader and other top government officials are in the best possible quarantine conditions and asked: "... Why did the Leader immediately come to the scene in the case of the gasoline price increase, which was intended to impose budget problems on the people, and shut down all critics, including some traditional government religious authorities, but when it comes to the crisis that has targeted the lives of the people, the Leader of the system has opportunistically remained silent in the face of superstition and traditional reactionaries who seized the golden opportunity for weeks to close down gatherings and quarantine Qom?"

The signatories called on citizens to consider medical and health experts and workers as the reference for shaping their daily behavior in the absence of a responsible, efficient, and honest government, and to heed safety warnings and minimize travel outside the home. The public is invited to help, as much as possible, their low-income compatriots who have been affected by quarantines, business closures, and severe reductions in travel.

Amir Mombini, Kazem Alamdari, Faraj Sarkohi, Abdolali Bazargan, Farzaneh Bazrpour, Maryam Satvot, Nahid Qajar, Reza Alijani, Mansoureh Shojaei, Esfandiar Tabari, and Ahmad Alavi are among the signatories of this statement.

Source: DW