Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, Dec. 20, 2018 – A few days after it was revealed that Iranian regime president Hassan Rouhani’s son-in-law was appointed to the head of a department in the industry, mine and trade ministry, he was forced to resign.
The revelation caused an uproar in Iranian social media networks leading to more coverage by English media.
Iranian media outlets, especially those close to Rouhani’s faction, stepped in to cover the mess and claimed that Hassan Rouhani was not aware of the appointment and that he nulled the decision immediately after he was informed. But the ridiculous claims were refuted which led to more disgrace.
On December 16, Qassem Jasemi, an Iranian MP from Kermanshah province, said: “Mr. minister of industry and trade, instead of improving the industry, trade and mining of the country, you are seeking the president so that he introduces his son-in-law to you or that you introduce him unilaterally and when the whole story is revealed, they say that the president didn’t know anything.”
Rouhani’s cover-up was so bad that even his allies distanced themselves from it.
Close sources to Rouhani’s faction wrote: “Hesamodin Ashna, the president’s advisor in cultural matters didn’t confirm nor refute Rouhani’s son-in-law’s discharge and said you should ask the president’s public relations office.”
Right after the scandal was revealed, Kambiz Mehdizadeh, Rouhani’s son-in-law, wrote to Reza Rahmani, the minister of industry and trade: “I ask your permission to resign and continue my scientific activities in my previous trench.”
It’s revealing that Reza Rahmani himself was just appointed to the ministry of industry and trade less than two months ago on October 28 by Hassan Rouhani.
Kambiz Mehdizadeh’s claim of continuing his “scientific activities” in his previous trench is as ridiculous as it comes.
According to Iranian media, Kambiz Mehdizadeh, while currently a PhD student in petroleum engineering, also “serves” as an advisor to Iran’s oil ministry, is an advisor to Karaj’s governor, advisor to the CEO of Petroleum Engineering & Development Co.—which is by the way a subsidiary to the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company and according to Wikipedia, supervises the process of implementing huge oil and gas projects—and more.
But nepotism is nothing new in the ruling theocracy in Iran.
Jomhuri Eslami newspaper writes: “People are shocked how newly appointed ministers are speeding over each other to appoint relatives to posts! One appoints the child of another minister as his advisor with the excuse of letting in the new generation, while another appoints the son-in-law of the president as his deputy. Meanwhile the third minister appoints the son-in-law of another official. This sickness has become so epidemic that some officials appoint even the son-in-law of an iconic figure of the opposite faction, maybe to secure their own future professional career.”
Appointing the relative of an iconic figure of the opposite faction isn’t exaggerated at all.
Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, Hassan Rouhani’s advisor for Supervision and Strategic Affairs, previously appointed Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s substitute Friday prayer leader’s son-in-law to an office in his organization. Ahmad Khatami is notorious for his hardline support for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Arman newspaper summed up the situation clearly. On December 17 it wrote: “People can’t bear this type of discrimination anymore.”
But Hassan Rouhani’s nepotism runs deeper than that. Jahan-e Emrooz newspaper writes: “These appointments aren’t coincidences. Hossein Fereydoun, the president’s brother, is a former advisor to the president… Abdol Hossein Fereydoun, the president’s niece, is the former chief manager of the ministry of science, research and technology, and the former caretaker of its center for attracting members of the academic board. Esmaeel Samavi, another niece of Hassan Rouhani, is the former chief of the young advisors group. The list goes on…
And this isn’t surprising. One can’t expect better than that from a regime run by thugs under the pretense of religion in the 21st century. In fact, what we know is only the tip of the iceberg of a ruling system that couldn’t be more opaque.
