In a speech at Ghuchan University on May 7, Ali Motahari, a principlist Tehran deputy, took a swipe at his fellow MPs for their failure to react to the actions of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The following is the translation of part of the comments he made at a memorial of his father Martyr Morteza Motahari, as reported by entekhab.ir:

On Ahmadinejad presidency

Actions of former President Ahmadinejad in violation of law did not meet with a fitting response and the deputies of the 8^th and 9^th parliaments along with principlists are to blame for such failure, because they have a wrong interpretation of the rule of the jurisprudent.

Ahmadinejad openly said that he would implement the laws he deemed as constitutional and exclude the ones that he found in contrast with the Constitution. From my perspective, such a person should not have remained president even for a single day.

On cash subsidies, he acted against the law; the government [of President Rouhani] should talk with people honestly and tell them that the process was not well executed in the first place. People will accept it if they see honesty in the words of the government.

On 2009 presidential election

Justice must be administered and the share of blame everyone involved in the post-election developments receives should be determined; they must stand trial if necessary.

To assume that only two individuals were to blame and what others did was right amounts to burying our heads in the sand, because as long as justice is not delivered, the conscience of society won’t be soothed.

On President Rouhani’s controversial remarks

I don’t agree with President Rouhani when he said that the law enforcement is duty-bound to implement the law and not Islam, because our laws are Islamic.

The president might have meant the personal interpretation of Islamic rules [by police] in dealing with offenders.

On corruption and embezzlement

In the past few years corruption has not been limited to cases in which one or a few individuals have siphoned off money; rather, illegal money transfers and abuse of power for which the 8^th and 9^th parliament as well as the previous government should be held accountable were at the center of corruption cases.

The presence of injustice and discrimination will deny society mental equilibrium, giving rise to emergence of two classes in society: the disadvantaged suffering mental complexes and over-demanding rent-seekers.

Miscellaneous

I think it is up to the Foreign Ministry to decide whether or not to release the Iranian fact sheet, because its publication might be to the detriment of the talks. What matters is that we pay closer attention to the wording of the final deal.

In my opinion the initiative to have provincial elections has pros and cons. Personally, I favor the plan, because its advantages outweigh its disadvantages. All in all it is to the benefit of the establishment and revolution.

I do not approve of political classifications such as principlists and reformists and won’t fit in either category.

Foreign media support any criticism aimed at the establishment, but it does not mean that those who are critical of the establishment are in contact with foreigners.

Tara Hotel in Mahabad, a city in West Azerbaijan Province, was set on fire on Thursday after a group of people gathered outside to protest the mystery death – a day earlier – of a young girl and call on officials to follow up the case.

A police official announced Saturday that the suspect – a local man with no connection with security forces – has been arrested and admitted to his involvement in the death of the girl.

Entekhab, a news website, on May 8, released a report on what happened in Mahabad on Thursday followed by the remarks of local officials. [The report was filed before the suspect was taken to custody]. The following is the translation of excerpts of the report:

The ralliers called for the immediate punishment of the one who is involved in the death of the young girl. Reports say that the girl jumped off a hotel window on Wednesday following a suspected attempt at sexual abuse.

Official account

Mahabad’s governor Ja’afar Katani said protesters chanted slogans against the hotel manager, and the police – present at the scene – did not resort to violence, but the hotel was set on fire and was partly looted despite insistence by the victim’s family on the pursuit of the case through legal channels.

Alireza Dadfar, a security official in the province, told reporters the anti-revolution media are spreading lies about the hotel incident seeking to provoke the youth in the city.

He rejected allegations that a member of security forces has been implicated in the young girl’s death, saying the suspect was a private consultant who was present at the scene on a hotel upgrade mission.

Forensic medical examinations have also substantiated reports that the girl had not been subjected to sexual assault, the official said.

He said a group of people set the hotel on fire, injuring 25 people, including seven police.

Dadfar also rejected reports of clashes between police and people as well as images that have gone viral in cyberspace [of police violence], saying police tried to disperse the crowd through anti-rioting methods.

He said a number of people involved in the arson attack have been arrested, adding the police will show no more restraint if the youth zeal is taken the wrong way.