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Published on August 4, 2009

• Hourglass turned over fate of Iran vote detainees
  – headline in the Iranian run English-language PressTV

  On July 28, in apparent response to the increasing domestic and international outrage at reports of torture, which in some instances has resulted in death, Iran released 140 of those detained during post-election protests.  The release also coincided with the news that Mosen Ruholamini, son of a close aide to conservative presidential candidate Mohsen Rezai, died while in custody as the result of a beating.  The death of Ruholamini has conservatives finding common cause with reformists in decrying the treatment of those held in Iran’s notorious prisons.  According to the government, 150 Iranians are still being held; however, verifiable information regarding the numbers arrested, released and detained are difficult to obtain.  The Supreme Leader also ordered the Kahrizak prison closed after a parliamentary committee visited the facility and reported on the deplorable conditions there.   The Iranian government announced that trials of detainees would begin at the end of July.  According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) these would mark the first phase of trials to be followed by prosecution of those who have led the post-election unrest.  While those who would fall into the second category were not specifically named, it is assumed they would include political opposition leaders.

• “Ahmadinejad’s appointment of Mashaei as his first vice president brought shock, regret and concern to his voters.”
  – Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of the conservative Kayhan newspaper

  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad engaged in a bit of a power struggle with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei over the president’s appointment of Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei as first vice president.  Mashaei, who is a close personal friend of Ahmadinejad, had received flack for statements he made last year that seemed to express support for Israel.  While Iran’s 12 vice presidents do not require parliamentary approval, both the parliament and the Supreme Leader called on Ahmadinejad to rescind the appointment.  Intelligence minster Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Eji and culture minister Mohammad-Hossein Safar-Harandi, both close to Khamenei, also walked out of a cabinet meeting in protest over the appointment of Mashaei; the first vice president chairs cabinet meetings. 

  In a rare show of defiance, the president initially stood firm in his appointment of Mashaei, but eventually responded to pressure – seven days after the Supreme Leader ordered Mashaei removed.  The parliament strongly criticized Ahmadinejad for failing to promptly heed the direction of the Supreme Leader, as well as for his subsequent appointment of Mashaei to the post of chief of staff.  Ahmadinejad, apparently feeling vulnerable in the wake of the disputed election results and the power struggles within the regime, seems to be trying to surround himself with close allies. 

  Under Iranian law, the president will have two weeks from his inauguration on August 5 to present his cabinet to the parliament for a vote of confidence.  While Ahmadinejad may attempt to pack his cabinet with political allies, several members of the parliament have said they will evaluate cabinet nominees to insure they possess the necessary qualifications and expertise.  However, the conservative-dominated parliament may also be under pressure to approve the cabinet in a show of regime unity in the face of continued popular protests.

• “As millions of Iranians have lost confidence in the electoral process, the Association of Combatant Clerics insists on the organization of a referendum.”
  – statement by the Association of Combatant Clerics

• “A referendum would create challenges that our country cannot harbor and it would incite unrest instead of building confidence.”
  – conservative Khabar newspaper

  On July 20, the Association of Combatant Clerics, led by former president Mohammad Khatami, called for a referendum on the outcome of the June 12 elections and insisted that any referendum be conducted by an independent body and observed by international monitors.  Hardliners within the regime characterized the call for a referendum as another Western-led plot to destabilize the country.  Calling a referendum “illegal and impractical,” Hossein Shariatmadari, the managing director of the conservative Kayhan newspaper, also declared that a referendum would only bring another crushing defeat to Ahmadinejad’s challengers.  Only the Supreme Leader has the authority to call a referendum.