Ex-Iran President Rouhani Criticizes Reinstatement Of Morality Police

After his visit to China in January, Mayor Alireza Zakani told the City Council that he had signed several agreements including a deal worth 1.67 billion euros in the field of transportation. Various officials have named electric buses, vans, taxis, subway cars, and traffic cameras as part of the products to be supplied to the municipality.

Councilors who approved of a two-billion- euro budget for improvement of transportation in the capital after the conclusion of the contract on March 4 say they have yet to be informed of the details of the agreements signed by the mayor.

Tehran city government does not have access to such a large amount of hard currency which only the state can provide. The involvement of the oil ministry in the approval process of the deal suggests that the cost will be paid from funds accrued in China from Iranian oil imports. It is highly likely that permission for the whole project was granted by the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, if up to 2 billion euros is to be spent.

According to an editorial in Tehran Municipality’s Hamshahri newspaper on Monday, President Ebrahim Raisi, the ministries of industries, foreign affairs, interior, and oil, as well as the Central Bank of Iran, had knowledge of the details of the contract. This means a regime-wide decision-making process, suggesting oil money in China is involved.

China is Iran’s main oil buyer, defying US sanctions on Tehran, importing around one million barrels a day.

Hamshahri also admitted that the Chinese side had insisted on keeping the details of the contract secret due to US oil export and banking sanctions. Hamshahri’s editorial suggested that the Chinese side may decide to cancel the agreement.

Lack of transparency regarding the contract also raises questions about possible hidden dimensions of the agreements as it is not clear in what exact purposes the contractor has committed to procure equipment or deliver finished projects. This opens the door to the possibility that equipment and services with dual applications could be included in the contract.

Several Tehran City Council members walked out in protest and obstructed the council’s meeting on Sunday after Zakani evaded giving them clear answers regarding the details of the contract.

The meeting was held a few days after whistle-blower journalist Yashar Soltani published the signature page of the contract on his website.

Zakani claimed at the Sunday meeting that relevant authorities including the ministry of industry and the central bank were informed of the specifics of the agreement. Responding to council members’ criticism of the secrecy surrounding the contract, Zakani claimed that the details of the contract had been provided to two members, Jafar Tashakori-Hasemi, who refuted Zakani’s claim and walked out of the session, and Narjes Soleimani who said she was not convinced by Zakani’s responses.

Critics say the Chinese company, specializing in road projects, is ill-equipped for such a massive commission in the completely unrelated field of transportation technology. They are also concerned about secret conclusion of other contracts with China and possibility of corruption.

“We specifically demand transparency regarding the contract with China…It must be explained how many trips were made [by municipality officials] to China and how many officials went there, what issues were negotiated and what was the outcome of these trips, Councilor Mehdi Eghrarian told Entekhab news website Monday.

“One of my questions at the meeting [Sunday] was if the contract involved the purchase of other equipment. Mr Zakani says it did. So, the question remains, who coordinated [or approved] these purchases?” he said.

“We have a simple demand: Transparency of the Chinese contract. Why are you not making the contract transparent to us if you are not worried [of its consequences]?” the councilor said while calling on the media to help make the issues related to the administration of the capital clear and transparent.

As seen from the single-page document published by Soltani, the contract was concluded on January 30, 2024 with Poly Changda Overseas Engineering (PLCD), a company that specializes in construction of highways, bridges, and tunnels according to Bloomberg UK.

The same document shows that the contract was underwritten by Iran's Bank Shahr, which is affiliated to the municipality. Shahr Bank was sanctioned by the US treasury in October 2020.

Critics say Zakani signed the contract without due processes such as tender announcements and prior approval of the city council. The mayor and other municipality officials claim this was meant to expedite the supply of the much-needed equipment to transform the capital’s transportation system to an electric one.

The mayor of Tehran is a hardliner politician who began his political career during his student days at Tehran University after the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) in which he participated as a volunteer. He consequently became the head of the Student Basij Organization of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and was personally involved in the bloody crackdown on students on Tehran University’s campus in 1999 alongside security forces.

Zakani specializes in nuclear medicine and university professor. He was elected to the parliament three times and in 2013 stood for presidency for the first time. He ran against Ebrahim Raisi in 2021. Tehran City Council which is under the full control of hardliners appointed him as mayor of Tehran soon after the elections. 

The investigation revealed that Binance allowed more than 1.5 million virtual currency trades worth around $900 million, violating US sanctions. These included transactions involving Iran and designated terror groups such as Iran-backed Hamas, al-Qaeda and Islamic State.

Prosecutors said Binance employed a "Wild West" model that welcomed criminals, and did not report more than 100,000 suspicious transactions.

Families of victims of the Hamas terror attacks of October 7 and the families of hostages taken to Gaza, are suing Binance, along with Iran and Syria, for Binance's role in funding the terror group, among others between 2017 and 2023.

Once considered a leading figure in the cryptocurrency world, Changpeng Zhao's sentencing marks him as the second major cryptocurrency executive to face prison time after Sam Bankman-Fried for his role in the FTX scandal.

Presiding US District Judge Richard Jones in Seattle delivered a sentence that fell significantly below the three years requested by federal prosecutors, and well under the maximum of 1-1/2 years recommended by federal guidelines.

Binance was also found to have facilitated transactions involving the sale of child sexual abuse materials and processed substantial sums from ransomware attacks.

In addition to the prison term, Binance has agreed to a $4.32 billion penalty to settle the charges, while Zhao himself has paid a $50 million criminal fine and another $50 million to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Zhao stepped down as Binance's chief in November, when he and the exchange he founded in 2017 admitted to evading money-laundering requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act. He is expected to serve his sentence at a detention center near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The report, revealing that Shakarami, 16, was sexually assaulted and killed by members of the Islamic Republic's security forces amid the nationwide uprising sparked by the death in morality-police custody of Mahsa Amini in 2022. Shakarami's death followed last year.

According to the report, BBC World accessed a "highly confidential" document showing that three security personnel were directly involved in the sexual assault and murder of Shakarami.

The document, based on statements from the security forces, includes names of the perpetrators and senior commanders who concealed the details of the crime. It describes how one officer physically restrained Shakarami, while she resisted, ultimately provoking a brutal response with batons.

Prominent figures such as Prince Reza Pahlavi have subsequently been vocal on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), condemning the systematic abuse and calling for international accountability. "Ali Khamenei's thugs are waging a campaign of systematic sexual assault against Iranian women and protesters. This is a crime against humanity, and the international legal community must hold the perpetrators, primarily Khamenei, accountable," Pahlavi stated. He also encouraged all Iranians to stand in solidarity with the women of Iran against this organized aggression.

Amid the peak of the uprising, over 550 protesters were killed by Iran's security forces with Iran's Me Too movement finding that sexual abuse is systematically used against women, until today.

Hamed Esmaeilion, another prominent critic of the regime, echoed the sentiment of no forgiveness or forgetting, promising that Shakarami's killers would face punishment. Similarly, Masih Alinejad, a journalist and political activist, stressed the need to not only identify but expose the assailants, emphasizing the orchestrated nature of the crime and its profound implications.

Abdollah Mohtadi, Secretary-General of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, pointed to the murder as a stark indicator that the only resolution to the ongoing oppression and brutality, which has led to global sanctions, is the complete dismantling of the regime and its ideological foundations.

Gohar Eshghi, mother of Sattar Beheshti, a blogger who was killed in 2012 under torture in custody, wrote: "The entire world sees the document of crime and lies of the Islamic Republic. As I have said before, the only way for the happiness of the Iranian nation and justice-seeking is the fall of the Islamic Republic and holding a trial for each of these criminals."

In February, a document obtained from a hack of the judicial systems of the Islamic Republic confirmed the rape of Nika before her murder.

According to the document, which was written by Abbas Masjedi Arani, head of the Forensic Medicine Organization, addressed to the Supreme National Security Council, it stated, "In the genital examination, signs indicating assault or rough sexual intercourse were evident."

Shakarami's family found her body in a morgue nine days after her disappearance, while authorities claimed she had committed suicide.

In a session with the House of Lords International Relations and Defense Committee on Tuesday, Cameron claimed that such a move could sever diplomatic channels which are vital for communication and conflict de-escalation with Iran, deemed the world's number one state sponsor of terror by the US last year. 

"There is a disadvantage, to be frank about it, from proscription, which is that it would effectively end diplomatic relations…I think that is not in Britain's interest, that wouldn't strengthen our approach, in many ways it would weaken it."

The IRGC, beyond its regional operations, including attacks and military actions in Syria, Iraq, and recently Israel, has also carried out multiple attempted plots on UK soil. Despite this, Cameron stated that the current sanctions regime against the IRGC is adequate for the UK to address any illegal activities by Iran.

“We have sanctioned the IRGC in its entirety. When I ask law enforcement, police, intelligence services, others, is this extra step of proscription necessary in order to take further action against these people when they do the things that we disapprove of, the answer is no.”

Last week, following Iran's attempted aerial attack on Israel earlier this month, in which over 350 missiles and drones were sent towards the Jewish state, but most intercepted by Israel and a US-led coalition, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for increased sanctions against Tehran and for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be designated as a terrorist organization.

The resolution was passed after intense debate where Josep Borrell, the EU Foreign Policy Chief, faced criticism for not already designating the IRGC as such. Borrell defended his position by stating that the IRGC is already under severe sanctions as part of the "Iran Weapons of Mass Destruction" sanctions regime, and adding a terrorist designation would be redundant and ineffective. This led Swedish representative Charlie Weimers to openly accuse Borrell of lying.

Iran is now heavily sanctioned for its nuclear program, its military support for Russia's war on Ukraine, and severe human rights abuses at home. However, its nuclear enrichment has continued in spite of sanctions, as has its rights violations and selling drones to Russia for use in Ukraine.

Those testifying included Younger and University of St Andrews Professor of Iranian History, Ali Ansari.

During the initial panel, former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger discussed the evaluation of the UK's counter-terrorism policy, focusing on the global threat landscape and factors contributing to terrorism. Leveraging his experience in intelligence and security matters, Younger emphasized the intricate nature of the global threats and underscored the pivotal role of state sponsorship in amplifying the impact of terrorist activities. 

When questioned about the complexity added by Iran's involvement with organized crime, Younger emphasized the significant challenge posed when a state supports such activities. “I think all of these do take on a different character if you've got the state behind them.”

Regarding Iranian terrorism, particularly within the Middle East and North Africa region, Younger was asked about the most effective actions the UK should take to mitigate threats to its security emanating from the destabilizing activities of the Iranian State. Younger suggested a "full-court press" approach, highlighting not just Iran but also Russia's activities, further adding:

"They've taken every aspect of state power, proxies, subversion, and cyber and bent all that to a single strategic purpose without regard for law or values and deployed them across the spectrum.”

Younger further stressed the need for a comprehensive response to these hybrid threats, acknowledging the necessity of retaining ethical and legal principles while learning from adversaries' teamwork strategies:

"We've got something to learn about the teamwork aspects of this and the rigor of prioritizing it against key strategic objectives."

In the second panel, University of St Andrews Professor of Iranian History, Ali Ansari addressed the Committee on Iran and its proxies, particularly focusing on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Ansari highlighted concerns about Iran's ideological expansion and propaganda efforts, stressing the need for proactive measures against the IRGC and its activities:

"One of the areas the UK is less prepared and able to contend with is the Iranian regime's ideological expansion and education which is being carried out in a professional and serious level."

Regarding the potential of proscribing the IRGC as a terrorist entity in the UK, Ansari asserted that to effectively address the threat posed by the IRGC, its proxies, and their activities, a more proactive and engaged approach is needed and that simply proscribing it as a terrorist organization is not sufficient to solve the problem. Ansari further proposed that unilateral action might not be as effective as a coordinated approach with European partners and a broader coalition:

"It'd send a stronger signal if it's done with European partners and a broader coalition."

Moreover, Ansari advocated for a more assertive stance against Iran's regime, stressing the imperative of confronting its ideology and enhancing capabilities to effectively counter its activities. He urged:

"We need to start challenging, pushing back and confronting [Iran's regime] in a way the ideology and the toxicity that comes along with it."

Furthermore, Professor Ansari highlighted Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's recent endorsement of "various campus demonstrations in the US”, to show how they are "following his lead". Ansari further suggested that this move by Khamenei is also sending a message to his critics inside Iran and an attempt to show his influence abroad.

Ansari also highlighted the necessity for bolstering language and cultural expertise within security services:

"We need a lot more Persian language speakers and people who understand the language and culture of the land our security services are dealing with. We need to enhance our capabilities, and then be able to push back with a response."

The next session of the Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into the UK’s international counter-terrorism policy is scheduled for May 7, 2024.