Reactions to Former Intelligence Minister’s Statements About Hashemi Rafsanjani and Disqualification Efforts; Mohsen Hashemi’s ‘Appeal for Justice’ to Khamenei
Statements by Iran’s former intelligence minister about how Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was disqualified in the 2013 presidential election have drawn sharp reactions from Rafsanjani’s family members and political allies, including Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Heydar Moslehi, Iran’s former intelligence minister, said explicitly on Sunday, June 13, in a television interview that Hashemi Rafsanjani was disqualified in 2013 based on his recommendation to the Guardian Council. Moslehi stated that at that time, the Intelligence Ministry had predicted that Rafsanjani would win the election, and for this reason, he attended a Guardian Council session and asked its members, considering “costs and benefits,” to disqualify Rafsanjani.
Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, spokesman for the Guardian Council, rejected the former intelligence minister’s claim on Monday, June 14, writing in a tweet: “I do not want to mention the gentlemen’s conduct in the meeting with them.”
In response to this news, Ishaq Jahangiri, the first vice president of Iran, who was head of Rafsanjani’s election campaign in 2013, tweeted a series of messages asking the Guardian Council to release the video and audio of the session that Heydar Moslehi referred to.
Also, Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani, following Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, wrote a letter to the leader of the Islamic Republic on Monday and filed a “complaint for justice” with him. According to the ISNA news agency, Mohsen Hashemi also, referring to the presidential election scheduled for Friday this week, asked Ayatollah Khamenei to “not allow a change in the course of the Islamic Republic to so-called Islamic governance and to save Iran from this dangerous curve.”
Heydar Moslehi was the intelligence minister during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration and repeatedly accused Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani of alignment with “sedition leaders.” Ayatollah Khamenei and his supporters described Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi as sedition leaders following nationwide protests against the 2009 election results.
Earlier, Ali Larijani had also asked the Guardian Council to announce the reasons for his disqualification. Recently, Ayatollah Khamenei said that “incorrect” reports had been submitted to the Guardian Council regarding some disqualified candidates, but the Guardian Council stated that those reports had no effect on the disqualification results.
Source: Voice of America
