Former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the head of the Islamic Republic’s judiciary, ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani.
In a video clip circulated by Dolate Bahar, a website promoting him and his allies, Ahmadinejad has warned ayatollah Larijani to publish documents related to his conviction within 48 hours.
“Sadly, the head of judiciary, who is expected to respect the Islamic Republic’s Constitution and general laws more than anybody else, has repeatedly violated articles 36 and 37 of the Constitution”, Ahmadinejad insists in his video-taped comments.
Article 36 of the Constitution is about due process of law, while Article 37 says, “The law does not consider anyone guilty unless the person’s guilt is proven at a qualified court”.
It is not clear though, when the 48-hour deadline ends.
Referring to comments made by ayatollah Amoli Larijani at a meeting with university students last week, the vociferous former President responded, “The head of judiciary has charged me and my colleagues with a list of accusations. He has described us as ‘seditionist’, ‘devious’…”
In Conservatives vocabulary in Iran, the term “seditionist” refers to those who incited a long lasting bloody rebellion immediately after the controversial presidential election in 2009.
Based on the same vocabulary, the term “devious” is exclusively set aside for describing Ahmadinejad, his close allies and whoever supports him.
According to Mizan, a news website affiliated with the Islamic Republic’s judiciary, “During a meeting with university students on Wednesday, December 13, ayatollah Amoli Larijani accused Ahmadinejad and his close allies of weakening the ruling system through debilitating the judiciary”.
In his new round of fierce attacks against the judiciary and its head, Ahmadinejad referred to Babak Zanjani, who has been behind bars for the past four years for embezzlement of Iran’s oil money, sarcastically saying, “If my government or others have had any connection with his case, we expect the judiciary to disclose the documents affirming the existence of such relations”.
Setting a 48-hour ultimatum for the judiciary to publish the evidentiary documents, Ahmadinejad warned, “Otherwise, I would publicly present my findings on the judiciary’s head and his performance during past eight years”.
Moreover, the former president cautioned that he will do whatever is in his capacity to defend people’s rights against the Islamic Republic’s judicial organ.
“More than ever, this is the right time to defend the oppressed against the judiciary. If the judiciary is reformed, everything would be set aright in Iran”, Ahmadinejad reiterated, adding “These people [in charge of the judiciary] must go and, soon they will be gone”.
Responding to the people who criticize him for keeping mum against the justice system’s “unfair” and “unjust” actions through his eight years of presidency, Ahmadinejad admitted, “We were truly unaware of the unjustifiable actions by the judiciary at the time. We really did not know but later we were informed [of many facts]”.
Moreover, Ahmadinejad argued, “As you are not aware of many facts for the moment, we were also unaware of many cases and kept in the dark at the time. Nevertheless, God willing, you will soon be informed of the facts, as well”.