Beförderung oder Weglobung?

Teheran Bureau bringt eine interessante kleine Diskusssion über den weiteren beruflichen Weg des berüchtigten Teheraner Oberstaatsanwalts Saeed Mortazavi, der auch die Schauprozesse organisiert hat. Daß Mortazavi seinen Posten verlassen muß, war nach dem Amtsantritt des neuen Justizchefs Laridjani letzte Woche bekannt geworden. Nur nicht wohin er gehen sollte. Am Sonntag hat ihn Laridjani überraschend zu einem der sechs Stellvertreter des ebenfalls neuernannten Obersten Staatsanwaltes gemacht (den wir bereits als von Ahmedienjad geschaßten Geheimdienstminsiter kennen). Man weiß eigentlich nicht, welche der an diesen Rochaden beteiligten Personen unsympathischer ist, sie unterscheiden sich vor allem in der Nähe oder Distanz zu Ahmedienjad. Interessant an Mortazavis Fall ist, daß bisher schlicht nicht klar ist, ob seine nominelle „Beförderung“ nun wirklich eine faktische Beförderung ist – oder ein Wegloben.

Mortazavi Promoted

Tehran Bureau | August 30, 2009

Hojjatoleslam Sadegh Larijani has appointed Saeed Mortazavi, the notorious former Tehran Prosecutor General, as the deputy to Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehei, the Prosecutor General of the country.

This essentially means Mortazavi received a promotion, despite all the harm he did to the judiciary. In addition to being behind the show trials, he has a long track record of closing reformist publications, jailing journalists, human rights advocates and reformist leaders. He has also been implicated in several crimes.

Mortazavi’s new appointment, together with the appointment of Ejehei, does not bode well for the future of the Iranian judicial system. In fact, many believe it has been irreversibly damaged already.

The move also provides some clues into Larijani’s thinking and his views about his tenure at the judiciary. Larijani does not appear to be interested in reforming the system or leaving a positive legacy. Ejehei himself is a hardliner, and both he and Mortazavi are strongly supported by Ayatollah Khamenei. Their appointments signal that the harsh tactics in dealing with the reformist leaders and the people supporting them will continue. — Muhammad Sahimi

Mortazavi Promoted or Demoted?

Blog Watch: Agha Bahman | August 30, 2009

Nemat Ahmadi and Saleh Nikbakht, two Iranian lawyers who work for the Justice Minisry, told the BBC today that Mortazavi’s new post is certainly lower in rank than his previous one.

Nemat Ahmadi told the BBC that the Prosecutor of Tehran is the most powerful position in the judiciary because he can call anyone who lives in Tehran to court and issue a warrant for their arrest. And we all know that most of Iran’s political activists and journalists live in Tehran. That is while the General Prosecutor of Iran does not have as many of the same rights, and neither does his deputy.

Saleh Nikbakht noted that the General Prosecutor has six deputies, none of which hold significant power and that Mortazavi’s new position is more of an administrative one.

I should add that while it’s apparent that Larijani intends to demote Mortazavi, we’ll have to wait and see how successful he will be at this. Most likely, those who have given unlimited powers to this “young, courageous judge” will not forget about him that easily. The “forgotten” roles of the prosecutor’s deputies might be “discovered” one by one.

I certainly hope not. — Golab P.