Iranian Judiciary Insists on Pursuing Ahmadinejad

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (File Photo: REUTERS/Karim Kadim/Pool)
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (File Photo: REUTERS/Karim Kadim/Pool)
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Iranian Judiciary Insists on Pursuing Ahmadinejad

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (File Photo: REUTERS/Karim Kadim/Pool)
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (File Photo: REUTERS/Karim Kadim/Pool)

Iranian judiciary insists pursuing former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who faces charges of corruption. Judicial spokesman Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei rejected Friday prayers' leader proposal for arbitration between between the judiciary and Ahmadinejad, following days of exchanged accusations between the two sides through the media.

Last week, Ahmadinejad launched unprecedented criticism of Iran's judiciary, particularly the head of the judiciary, Sadeq Larijani.

Larijani, according to Ahmadinejad, is a “greedy, land-grabbing tyrant” and a totally “unjust” figure who should immediately resign as chief-justice, otherwise the whole ruling system would collapse.

The judiciary was among the institutions highly criticized by President Hassan Rouhani who accused it of blocking his government's efforts in fighting corruption, however tensions between the two subsided after Rouhani’s second presidential term.

The dispute between the judiciary and Ahmadinejad peaked after the judiciary summoned a number of Ahmadinejad's aides and advisers over the past three months and charged them with various charges including corruption and propaganda against the regime.

Ahmadinejad's group denied the charges, accusing the judiciary of politicizing the issues, settling personal disagreement between Speaker Ali Larijani and head of the judiciary Sadeq Larijani on one side and Ahmadinejad on the other.

Earlier, Iran’s Guardian Council rejected Ahmadinejad's request and his assistant Hamid Baghaei for the presidential election.

On Sunday, Mohseni-Ejei said that the justice system is determined to face criminals, referring to Ahmadinejad's criticisms, Mohseni-Ejei said that "the hype" will not prevent the legal course from being followed, justifying the delay in facing Ahmadinejad's behavior with "wisdom" without giving further details.

"Some say we should refer these to medical jurisprudence to determine their mental capabilities. If we are to refer someone to medical jurisprudence, we will do it," he added.

Mohseni-Ejei also commented on Friday prayers' leader proposal Mohammad Emami Kashani for the formation of an arbitration committee to discuss the issues raised by Ahmadinejad against the judiciary, saying that nothing like that has been discussed.

Regarding holding a public trial for Ahmadinejad, Mohseni-Ejei said that public and non-public trials have their own conditions and the court hadn’t been formed yet, describing it as a “secondary issue.”

Last month, Ahmadinejad sent an open letter to Iranian leader Ali Khamenei demanding that his judicial file be referred to the former president of Iran's judiciary, Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi.

Over the past two weeks, the former president posted two recordings on his website criticizing Iran's justice system.

Judges considered Ahmadinejad's behavior an attempt to evade legal accountability, but Ejei denied that Ahmadinejad's use of recordings could prevent prosecution on charges of spreading lies.

Meanwhile, "Bahar News" website stated on Sunday that the Iranian security and judicial authorities summoned dozens of Ahmadinejad's supporters to the Prosecutor. The website noted that over the past few weeks, the Iranian judiciary has issued arrest orders to dozens of Ahmadinejad's supporters, adding that they are "held in solitary confinement."

The website claimed that a number of detainees were briefed on a list of 188 Ahmadinejad supporters in social networks. The authorities ordered the suspension of their mobile phone calls or their bank accounts, the website added.

On the other hand, Ejei quoted the Iranian Prosecutor Hossein Ali Montazeri that the judiciary is following the involvement of some government officials in the smuggling of goods, hoping the announcement of the results of the investigation will not be delayed.

On Wednesday, Montazeri revealed the involvement of some Iranian officials and members of their families in the smuggling of goods.

The amount of smuggled goods is estimated between $15 billion and $25 billion annually, Iranian media reported in January 2017. Officials say the illegal merchandise reached about $25 billion, however the Iran's Central Task Force to Combat Smuggling of Commodities and Currency says the rate has reached $12.5 billion dollars during Rouhani’s residency.

In August, parliament speaker Ali Larijani said smuggling decreased from $25 billion to $12 billions. In addition, the speaker indicated last week that Iran’s economy faces 38 challenges, ruling out a growth’s possibility over the upcoming year.

Larijani reiterated that the budget is not enough to run the country, adding that the country’s income comes from oil revenues and taxes and barely reaches $70 billion.



Peace Inches Forward in Türkiye as Parliament Eyes Cautious PKK Integration

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Turkish Presidency)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Turkish Presidency)
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Peace Inches Forward in Türkiye as Parliament Eyes Cautious PKK Integration

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Turkish Presidency)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Turkish Presidency)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday hailed a symbolic disarmament move by Kurdish militants as the beginning of a new chapter in the country’s decades-long fight against terrorism, but warned the process would not involve political bargaining.

Speaking at a ruling AK Party consultative meeting in Kızılcahamam, near Ankara, Erdogan said the gesture by a faction of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to lay down and burn its weapons marked “the dawn of a strong and great Türkiye.”

“With the end of a 47-year-old plague of terrorism now in sight, we are opening the doors to a new era,” Erdogan said. “The process ahead will uphold Türkiye’s dignity and respect the sensitivities of its people. No one will be allowed to compromise the honor of this nation.”

The symbolic surrender ceremony took place Friday near Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq, a region long known to harbor PKK fighters.

While Erdogan stopped short of detailing next steps, Turkish sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that gradual legislative moves are expected in parliament starting this week. These may include reduced sentences or pardons for PKK members as part of the wider reconciliation effort.

The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union, has waged an insurgency since 1984 that has killed tens of thousands. Previous attempts at peace talks collapsed in 2015, triggering years of renewed violence.

Erdogan, who has increasingly adopted nationalist rhetoric, stressed that any future measures would be carefully calibrated. “This is not an open-ended negotiation. It is a national process conducted with resolve and clarity,” he said.

Erdogan on Saturday ruled out any political negotiations behind a symbolic disarmament move by Kurdish militants, insisting Türkiye’s ongoing campaign to eliminate terrorism is not the result of concessions or backroom deals.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that the ‘Terror-Free Türkiye initiative we are pursuing is not born of negotiations, bartering, or give-and-take,” Erdogan said in his speech to the ruling AK Party’s consultative gathering in Kızılcahamam.

“Let everyone rest assured: we will never allow the honor of the Republic of Türkiye to be violated. Türkiye will not bow down — and we will move forward with this understanding.”

His remarks came a day after a faction of the PKK held a public ceremony near Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq, where fighters laid down and burned their weapons in what supporters described as a symbolic gesture rather than full surrender.

Pro-PKK figures said the act was meant to preserve the “dignity of the armed struggle,” and called on Turkish authorities to permit Kurdish political participation and release jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999.

Erdogan on Saturday also outlined the next phase in the country’s push to end nearly five decades of Kurdish militancy, saying a parliamentary committee would be formed to examine the legal framework for disarming the PKK.

“We hope the Turkish parliament will support the process with a constructive and facilitative approach,” Erdogan said during a speech to members of his ruling AK Party in Kızılcahamam.

“With the end of terrorism, the Republic of Türkiye will emerge stronger and more self-confident than ever before,” Erdogan said. “We will redirect our energy toward development and prosperity, rather than the fight against terrorism.”

The president vowed to expedite the process while honoring national sensitivities. “We will closely monitor the disarmament step by step. As the terrorist group lays down its arms, Türkiye will grow in fraternity, deepen its democracy, and move into the future with greater stability and security,” he said.