With growing public discontent about the deteriorating economic situation in Iran, corruption - once seen as a taboo - has become a source of discussion by the public.
It is not new for corruption to fall under the spotlight, but it has taken an unprecedented turn over the past year in light of the depreciation of the rial and the economic crisis gripping Iran.
The judiciary announced it has established special courts to deal with corruption, which has become a priority following the support of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
This comes as the judiciary faces criticism about its role in administrative and financial corruption in Iranian institutions over the past years.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Prosecutor-General Mohammad Jaffar Montazeri said that the judiciary will intensify its fight against corruption, adding that if need be, top officials such as cabinet ministers will be brought to justice.
Earlier this week, Tehran police chief Hossein Rahimi called on 850 people for investigation against the backdrop of the crackdown on corruption and manipulation of currency markets, according to official agencies.
Over the past two months, the Iranian administration's move to open direct negotiations with the US administration has failed.
Khamenei's speech on Monday reinforced observers' beliefs that a heated debate in the Iranian media about direct negotiations with US is a reflection of differences among decision-makers, mainly Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani. In recent statements, the President expressed an indirect desire for negotiations to avoid US sanctions.
The Supreme Leader acknowledged corruption in the country but criticized those who attribute it to the entire system, saying: “I have always been combating corruption and convicts of corruption, and I still hold to my belief.”
He described claims that everyone in the state is corrupt as untrue, adding: “It is true that even a little corruption is too much; but going to extremes is problematic in every aspect."
Khamenei's speech came only two days after the announcement of special courts on corruption cases. He attributed the problem of gold coins and foreign currency to negligence and mismanagement.
The Supreme Leader said “internal factors” were the source of recent economic problems of the country.
Back in February 2018, Khamenei described corruption as a seven-headed dragon, saying if you cut one head off, you’re still left with another six. His official website published posters referring to corruption as a dragon with seven heads, similar to Iranian epics in which legendary heroes cut off the dragon's head.
Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri was the most prominent figure who warned against the spread of systematic corruption. Jahangiri was chosen by Khamenei to head the Anti-Corruption Commission during Rouhani’s first presidency.
Back in August 2015, Jahangiri warned there were no red lines, meaning that anyone involved in corruption must be investigated.
Many in Iran believe the new anti-corruption measures and arrests come as part of an attempt to calm public opinion especially after alarming chants in recent protests against corrupt officials.
The Supreme Leader is the country's number one official, according to the Iranian constitution, but he is not questioned about his properties and those of his children.
In April 2018, MP Gholamali Jafarzadeh Imenabadi admitted that corruption has spread to a large extent in the regime's structure, indicating that it would be good to begin the fight against corruption initially from the office of the regime's Supreme Leader.
In November, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent an open letter to Khamenei asking him to begin reforms from his office.
On Tuesday, Iran’s Supreme Council for Economic Coordination, headed by Rouhani, approved an outline for a media campaign on fighting psychological war and economic issues.
According to Iranian agencies, the Council discussed "solutions to enlighten public opinion and involve people in the media campaign to combat any kind of manipulation in the regulation of the market.”
In recent weeks, dozens of people have been arrested on charges of illegal currency dealing and other related crimes. Among the more notable was the arrest of Ahmad Araqchi, the Central Bank’s former deputy governor in charge of foreign exchange.
Araqchi's arrest highlighted the role of wealthy and influential families in Iranian state institutions. Prosecutor-General Montazeri said the judiciary has applied for a public court for Araqchi.
Last week, the Iranian parliament witnessed, on the sidelines of the questioning of Labor Minister Ali Rubaie, a strong debate among MPs about involvement in corruption cases.
Tasnim news agency published a video of the minister, who was removed from his post, accusing a number of deputies in pressuring him to pay them money or appoint close associates in positions to prevent his interrogation.
Following Rubaie’s remarks, discussions heated and lawmakers exchanged accusations of corruption.
Reformist deputy speaker, Masoud Pezeshkian, was mostly targeted with accusations to which he responded by providing information about his daughter’s wealth.
Following that, Iranians launched a social media campaign under the hashtag #Where_is_your_kid? to pressure Iranian officials to provide information about their children’s education, place of residence and employment status.
Children of top officials are called “carriers of good genes” in Iran in reference to their wealth and power.
The “good genes” phrase was first used by Hamid Reza Aref, son of former Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, who said in a television interview two years ago that his success is attributed to what his mother called “good genes”.
Since then, it has been a term symbolizing Iranian discontent with the use of the nation’s wealth to serve politicians.
Many of the officials who reacted to the campaign denied that their children have state jobs, with some saying that their offspring are either unemployed or self-employed.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said his son and daughter live and work in Tehran with their families. He indicated that his children completed their studies and they've been back in Iran for more than six years.
Shahindokht Molaverdi, Rouhani's special assistant for civil rights, said in a tweet that her two daughters are graduates of Iranian universities. She provided information about their education and employment.
The debate over the influence of officials in Iran is not new. In June 2010, MP Alireza Salimi revealed that 3,000 children of Iranian officials are completing their higher education outside the country.
In 2010, MP Mohammad-Mehdi Shahriari told Mehr news agency that 400 were living in the UK, expressing concern that they would be exploited by London.
