DEPENDENT JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN IRAN
“Corruption allegations” about Iranian First Vice-President
Mohammad
Reza Rahimy have again raised defects in the judicial system
to the
agenda. Rahimy is accused of “serious embezzlement on
revenues of
public insurance institutions during the 7th term of Majlas
Shouray
Islami (Islamic Advisory Council) in which he functioned as
the Head
of Accountancy Council”.
Pro-conservative deputies including Elyas Nadaran, submitted
motions
to parliament for the initiation of parliamentary
investigation on
Rahimy. But, the motion that was put to vote was rejected
with 106
votes against 94. It is stated that pressures exerted by the
deputies
backing Ahmadinejad have been effective. Moreover, it is
stated that
Khamenei and senior leaders of the IRGC exerted pressure on
the
Parliament and the Jurisdiction due to their concerns that
Rahimy’s
condemnation and public declaration of his malversation
might cause
people to extend these corruptions to the entire system.
Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, Prosecutor General of Iran,
told that
charges against Rahimy were neither proven nor confuted,
therefore
Rahimy could have been summoned to testify against the
accusations”.
It is stated that Ejei has raised the corruption file to the
agenda
because of the severe accusations against the judiciary.
Moreover,
this remark is also interpreted as an effort to wear out the
government. However, though days have passed since this
statement was
made, no progress has been recorded on the judiciary front.
As for
Rahimy, he cancelled the press conference that he would make
to answer
accusations against him.
Members of the judiciary are accused of
not being able to conduct
investigation about individuals involved in corruptions
because of the
pressures on them. Rahimy’s statements such as “nothing will
happen to
me as long as it is Ahmadinejad who is in power” reveal the
truths.
The required background for the prevention of financial
corruptions in
Iran is not ready yet, and perhaps it will not be so... The
fact that
the majority of those involved in corruptions are
influential persons
throughout the country, is affecting the independence of the
judiciary. On the other side, government administrators do
not provide
full support to law enforcement forces to enable them to
serve
independently. It does not seem possible that a judge who
feels he
does not have job security will serve independently and that
the
corruption dossiers could be investigated in this atmosphere.
In the
meantime, apart from the corruption cases, thousands of
individuals
who are imprisoned without being judged fairly should not be
forgotten.
