Iran's Exiled Prince Calls For Coordinated Front Against Islamic Republic

Unlike normal visits by the president to other cities, which are usually announced beforehand so local authorities can organize state-sponsored welcoming ceremonies, the Friday junket was without the presence of people except for his security detail and a couple of city officials. 

Protests began last week, when the 10-story Metropol building collapsed, leaving nearly 40 people dead and dozens missing. It quickly became apparent that the owner and builder was a powerful and well-connected businessman who had disregarded regulations and building codes, being backed by officials, who might have had their own financial interests.

He also visited homes of some families of the victims of the disaster that triggered protests in Abadan as well as in several other cities across the oil-rich Khuzestan province who have been taking to the streets to demand accountability.

During the visit, Raisi said people have the right to expect investigation into corruption and some businessmen's connections with authorities that led to the Abadan incident, adding that they should be dealt with quickly.

“Iranian authorities must understand that they can’t hide the country’s difficult realities and problems by silencing and jailing journalists,” Justin Shilad, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa senior researcher, said Wednesday in New York.

The international press rights group called for the unconditional release of freelance reporter Arash Ghaleh-Golab, arrested at a mourning ceremony for victims of a collapsed building in the south-western city of Abadan, which killed at least 37 and led to protests in south-west Iran and elsewhere.

The CPJ cited a “source familiar with the case” that when Ghaleh-Golab was arrested “officers hit the journalist with their fists and kicked him.” The group said Ghaleh-Golab was being detained without charge at an undisclosed location and not allowed to contact his family.

The Iranian Writers Association has also expressed concern about Ghaleh-Golab and other detainees of the protests in Abadan and other cities in Khuzestan province. Security measures, including restrictions on the Internet, had made the situation of journalists and other detainees “very worrying,” the association said.

Leaked documents reviewed by Iran International TV had earlier implicated Shamkhani’s nephew as helping the corrupt owner of the building which collapsed on May 23 killing close to 40 people. The tragedy led to angry protests in south-western Iran and elsewhere. The government has deployed thousands of security forces to crush protesters.

Shamkhani has categorically denied the reports that point fingers at him and his nephew Mo'ud Shamkhani as baseless rumors without providing any evidence. Earlier he had also denied accusations about his son's involvement in smuggling oil from Iran using his shipping company.

Investigative reports indicate that Mo'ud Shamkhani lobbied for Hossein Abdolbaghi, the owner of the 10-story Metropol building to secure projects with local city and provincial officials.

The reports also charge that the former governor-general of Khuzestan Province Gholamreza Shariati and the city's mayor Hossein Hamidpur were also involved in providing land and funds for Abdolbaghi's companies in Abadan.

Local judiciary officials say that at least 13 officials including three former mayors, a city councillor, and a few supervising engineers have been arrested. Khuzestan's current governor-general Sadegh Khaililian told reporters that the Judiciary has also confiscated Abdolbaghi's assets that will be used to compensate victims, their families and those who sustained damages in the incident.

Many people in Abadan and elsewhere also do not believe the government's account about Abdolbaghi's death under the debris and say state officials helped him flee the country.

Social media reports say Mo'ud Shamkhani was Abdolbaghi's trade partner and that Abdolbaghi's sister was married to a member of Shamkhani's family. Social media users have also charged that the link to Shamkhani was the secret behind Abdolbaghi's success as a shopkeeper who turned into a rich real-estate developer.

Addressing Ali Shamkhani in a June 1 tweet Iranian journalist Siamk Borazjani asked Shamkhani : "It is time for you to think why people point fingers at you as soon as a corruption case is disclosed. What have your family members done with your reputation by being involved in corruption cases?"

According to one report broadcast on Iran International TV, two years ago safety officials had warned about serious flaws in the Metropol Towers in Abadan. The report added that Mo'ud Shamkhani who lobbied for the builder was the deputy director of the Arvand Free Trade Zone in Abadan. Interestingly, according to another report, Shamkhani and vice president Mohammad Mokhber were also the board members of the Arvand Free Trade Zone where Abdolbaghi was at least once accused of financial corruption. The report added that Ali Shamkhani had appointed his nephew Mo'ud as his representative at the Free Trade Zone.

The report, accompanied with many documents, added that the Mahmoud Shirazi, an official who gave the authorization to build the Metropol Towers despite safety violations, is now the deputy governor-general of Khuzestan Province.

According to the report, Abdolbaghi had bribed Shirazi to issue the building permit and promised him to make him a partner in a major building project in Karaj, near Tehran.

Nonetheless, Security Chief Ali Shamkahni says, "There is a guided psychological plot to mislead Iranians" about him, but he was not able to deny the documents that point fingers at his nephew and representative Mo'ud's role in the corrupt process that led to the tragedy.

Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof said on Wednesday that over 70 more filmmakers and actors have joined the signatories of the statement – headlined ‘Lay Down Your Arms’.

Veteran director and screenwriter Masoud Kimiai, actress Taraneh Alidoosti, who stars in 'Leila's Brothers' and recently attended the competition for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Iranian-Canadian producer and actor Mani Haghighi, and actor Masoud Karamati are among the new signatories of the letter. 

Earlier in the day, a group of Iranian artists residing abroad also warned security forces to lay down their arms and join the people before facing the "fire of the people's anger." They also called for an end to appeasement of the Islamic Republic as well as its “money laundering and propaganda machine.”

According to Rasoulof on Tuesday, a lot of the artists have been threatened and intimidated by the Islamic Republic's authorities to rescind their signatures.

The Iranian minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance warned Monday night, “We will punish those who seek to stand in the way of IRGC and guardians of Iran’s security by releasing worthless statements and delusional remarks.”

The ongoing protests began when a 10-story building collapsed in Abadan, in the oil-rich Khuzestan province May 23, leaving 37 people dead while dozens are still missing.

Speaking at a ceremony on Tuesday honoring the victims of the disaster, Ali Shamkhani tried to negate reports about his family’s connection with Hossein Abdolbaghi, the owner of the Metropol twin tower.

He said that while local and national authorities were doing their best to remove the physical debris and investigate the technical aspects of the incident, dissidents spread baseless rumors to mislead citizens.

So far, rescue workers have recovered 37 bodies, while reports say more than 30 people remain missing.

Iran International published two documents Friday that suggested a connection between Abdolbaghi and Mowud Shamkhani, Ali Shamkhani’s nephew, and other local officials who may have used their influence to help Abdolbaghi participate in large municipality-funded projects.

During the same ceremony, Mohammad Hossein Ahmadi Shahroudi, Khuzestan’s representative in the Assembly of Experts, expressed doubt about Abdolbaghi’s reported death, calling for an investigation. 

Authorities are accused by journalists and social media users of covering up his escape and claiming that he died in the incident.

Abdolbaghi, 40, was a well-known entrepreneur in Khuzestan with alleged strong connections with influential officials and centers of power.

The collapse of the building has led to ongoing protests in Abadan as well as in several other cities across the southwestern Khuzestan province who have been taking to the streets to demand accountability.