SHEIKH TEHRANI ARRESTED, PLACED DELIBERATELY IN MR. NOURI'S CELL
TEHRAN 31ST Jan. (IPS) As in a Greek tragedy, to punish the man he hates more, the leader of the Islamic regime of Iran has condemned his captive number one public enemy to share his prison cell with someone this latter detests.
According to reliable sources in Tehran, sheikh Ali Tehrani, 76, the brother-in-law of ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i has been detained and placed in the same cell where is held hojatoleslam Abdollah Nouri, the former Interior Minister and publisher of reformist daily Khordad.
No reason was given by the authorities for the sudden imprisonment of Mr. Tehrani, but reliable sources told Iran Press Service that he had been transferred to Mr. Nouri's cell on the order from ayatollah Khameneh'i.
Since his return from Baghdad in 1995, sheikh Tehrani and his wife, the younger sister of Mr. Khameneh'i were living comfortably in a residence situated near Karaj, 40 kilometres West of the capital.
"To have sheikh Ali Tehrani as my cellmate is the worse of punishments that one has inflicted on me", the outspoken Mr. Nouri is quoted by his friends as having admitted, accusing indirectly ayatollah Khameneh'i to have masterminded the "psychological torture".
On specific order of the leader, the controversial Clergymen's Special Tribunal (CST) condemned Mr. Nouri to five years of imprisonment and shut permanently his popular and influential newspaper on charges of insulting Islam, offending grand ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder the Islamic Republic, belittling Mr. Khameneh'i, encouraging dialogue with the United States and suggesting recognition of Israel etc.
As a result, Mr. Nouri who was given as the possible next Speaker of the Majles (parliament) was barred from the forthcoming parliamentary elections due 18th February.
Mr. Khameneh'i's hating of the former vice-president dates back to early years of the present regime when, at several occasions the two men would clash on important issues, ayatollah Khomeini had backed Mr. Nouri, ordering the then president to shut up.
During his defence at the trial, Mr. Nouri accused the leader of nepotism, pointing out to the fact that he had pardoned his brother-in-law and allowed him to come back to Iran even though sheikh Tehrani was in Baghdad during the Iran-Iraq war years and after, broadcasting anti-Iranian propaganda, making fiery and insulting statements against the leaders of the Islamic Republic, including ayatollah Khomeini from the Iraqi Radio.
"Why should a man who for years insulted our people, our regime, our leaders, our sacred war and our nation from the Iraqi capital be allowed to come back without facing trial for high treason just because he is the husband of the younger sister of the leader. If this not nepotism then what is it? If this is not an open disdain for the laws and the Constitution then what is it?" Mr. Nouri had pointed out during his plea, considered as historic and taboo breaking.
The remarks, made publicly during the trial that was covered by Iranian and international press had angered Mr. Khameneh'i who, in turn, urged the conservatives-dominated CST to condemn Mr. Nouri at "any cost" and shut his newspaper.
As this was not enough, now Mr. Khameneh'i has devised a satanic revenge by exposing his old enemy who had publicly belittled him and blown to pieces the sanctity of his positions as both the valye faqih, or the representative of God and self-appointed leader of the Muslims to maximum psychological torture by forcing him to share his prison cell with Mr. Tehrani. EN DS SHEIKH TEHRANI 31100