"Human Rights Defenders" Demand Rouhani to Oversee Intelligence Agencies

The Center for Human Rights Defenders called on Hassan Rouhani to "resist" the "violations" of parallel intelligence agencies and "introduce" these institutions to the public during his second presidential term, while exerting greater oversight over the Ministry of Intelligence.

This organization, headed by Shirin Ebadi, in its report on human rights violations in Iran in May, called on Hassan Rouhani to place greater oversight of the Ministry of Intelligence on his agenda.

Referring to the president's introduction of the Minister of Intelligence to the parliament, the report emphasizes that "any illegal act by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence will be recorded in the president's record of actions."

The Center for Human Rights Defenders also referred to the existence of "parallel and illegal" security institutions in Iran and called on Hassan Rouhani, based on his legal duties, to "resist their violations and introduce these institutions" to the people.

According to the organization, "naturally" the highest-ranking official in the judiciary is aware of the "illegal actions" of parallel security institutions, "such as arresting and filing cases against civil and political activists."

In December 2016, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi described Hassan Rouhani's government's record on respecting legal freedoms as "very weak" and criticized the fact that Mr. Rouhani had not made "any changes" to the Ministry of Intelligence, contrary to his election promises.

He mentioned, among other things, the role of Ministry of Intelligence agents in the case of Narges Mohammadi and Abdul Fattah Soltani, two members of the Human Rights Defenders Association.

Meanwhile, Taghi Rahmani, Narges Mohammadi's husband, had also announced that the Ministry of Intelligence is Ms. Mohammadi's complainant and that if the ministry withdraws its complaint, Narges Mohammadi will be released.

The Green Path of Hope Coordination Council, an organization close to Mir Hossein Mousavi, in a statement in September 2015, referring to the "efforts of authoritarian extremists to impose political blockade on society," accused the Ministry of Intelligence of "colluding" with the IRGC Intelligence Organization and the judiciary in some of the "repression projects."

Previously, in September 2014, the Kaleme website reported on the "role" of the Ministry of Intelligence of Hassan Rouhani's government in "summoning and threatening civil activists."

In recent years, the Ministry of Intelligence of Hassan Rouhani's government has also prevented meetings of some political and cultural groups critical of the Iranian government, including the National Front and the Iranian Writers' Association.

Ali Younesi, the Minister of Intelligence in the government of Mohammad Khatami, had previously said that the Ministry of Intelligence had not yet been "taken over" by the government of Hassan Rouhani.

He, of course, said on October 4, 2014 that by the word "takeover" he meant that the government had not yet "completely taken control" of the Ministry of Intelligence.

This is while the Minister of Intelligence of the Hassan Rouhani government has also had conflicts with the judiciary and the IRGC Intelligence Organization on several occasions.

For example, after the arrest of a number of Telegram channel managers in March 2016, Mahmoud Alavi, the Minister of Intelligence, announced that the government was opposed to the arrest of Telegram channel managers.

In response to these remarks, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, spokesman for the Judiciary, said on Wednesday, April 13, that the case "involves matters concerning the Minister of Intelligence himself" and that he cannot prepare a report on the case.

That same day, Mahmoud Alavi, the Minister of Intelligence, responded to this statement by saying: "I do not recognize any crime for the admins that I would be an accomplice to, as if they were my accomplice. Defending the government is no small crime."

The office of Hassan Rouhani's government spokesman also announced at the same time that Mr. Mohseni Ejei made these remarks due to "fatigue and pressure from commitments."

However, after these reactions, Mr. Ejei emphasized his past statements.

Source: Radio Farda