Ahmadinejad: "Security corruption gang" in the country's Security Council has demanded action against me

Following his recent video message about the Khuzestan protests, the former president of Iran claimed that a "security gang" in the country's Security Council had demanded action against him.

In his recent message, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attributed the suppression of protesters in Khuzestan to the Iranian government's influence over "a corrupt security gang," and said that "this security gang" creates a pretext for suppressing protesters by creating clashes and firing bullets during every protest, and "attributes the people's legitimate demands to foreigners and counter-revolutionary groups, and blocks the people's path to peaceful protest."

On Thursday, July 21, he warned of social collapse in another video message, saying that now that people have taken to the streets to "make their voices heard by the authorities, they have once again been confronted by elements organized by the corrupt security gang."

However, he did not provide a specific explanation about the identity of this security gang, and simply said that "these elements both betray the country by committing violence in the field and by providing false security analyses, leading the country's authorities to make wrong decisions."

The National Security Council is under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior, headed by Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Minister of Interior, and was one of the main factors in suppressing the November 2019 protests, in which at least 1,500 people were killed. When asked by some members of the 10th Parliament why he shot protesters in the head, Mr. Rahmani Fazli said that they were also shot in the legs.

Protests by the people of Khuzestan against the water crisis and other environmental and economic problems in this province have been ongoing for seven consecutive nights in various cities.

Since the beginning of these protests, according to some unofficial reports, "at least five people" have been killed, but official authorities have only confirmed the news of the deaths of two young men, while at the same time attributing it to "rioters."

In his message on Thursday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, referring to the statements of the Deputy Attorney General who had warned that some elements had armed thugs, said: "Who other than the corrupt security gang has the ability to organize and arm them? And is this work other than to deal with the people?"

Mr. Ahmadinejad stated that this security gang will demand action against him in the National Security Council, and "that council will approve that the prosecutor's office pursue the case, and the prosecutor's office will hand it over to the IRGC's intelligence."

He added: "Isn't it true that the Security Council is for the country, and the country means the people! Isn't it true that the Council should provide the necessary security so that the nation can live in complete peace and fully enjoy all its rights, including freedom?"

During his presidency, the events of 2009 occurred, during which hundreds of protesters were killed and thousands were arrested and tried. He said in his statements: "Apparently, everything has shifted and the National Security Council has become a council to protect the security of officials and a tool of the corrupt security gang."

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who failed to secure the approval of the Guardian Council in the last two presidential elections, has turned to criticizing the Islamic Republic and its leaders. He boycotted this election.

Source: Radio Farda