The judiciary’s spokesman, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei once again insisted on Sunday, October 29, that the new restrictions imposed on former president Mohammad Khatami are based on a verdict by the Special Clerical Court (SCC).

Citing SCC’s Prosecutor-general, Mohseni Ejei added that these restrictions may intensify”.

During his weekly press conference, Mohseni ejei was responding to a question raised about an incident on October 19 when the former president was barred from attending a session at BARAN Foundation.

The Foundation for Freedom, Growth and Development of Iran, BARAN in Persian, was established by Khatami in 2005 after wrapping up his second term as the Islamic Republic’s president. It is a non-profit foundation with mainly pro-reform members and a mission statement for “promotion of freedom, growth and development in Iran”.

Restrictions imposed on Khatami, the judiciary spokesman maintained, “Are certified every 90 days and the might be intensified in future”.

The head of the SCC, Ebrahim Raisi was Rouhani’s main challenger, in May 19 presidential election.

Since the controversial presidential election in 2009, Khatami, who supported Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s challengers, has been facing severe restrictions, including being barred from speaking to the media and traveling abroad.

Despite Khatami’s outright support for Hassan Rouhani in 2013 and 2017 presidential elections, the restrictions imposed on the former president have been significantly intensified in the past four years and especially in the last few weeks.