Ahmadinejad Barred from Visiting Tehran's Evin Prison

Arutz Sheva ^ | 22/10/12 | Rachel Hirshfeld

[Eleutheria5]

Iran's judiciary has rejected a request by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to visit Tehran's Evin prison, its spokesman said on Sunday.

"As we are faced with special circumstances and the country's priorities are the economy and people's living conditions, all authorities should focus on solving key issues... visiting a prison is extraneous," chief prosecutor Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie told ISNA news agency.

"More than seven years of his presidency have passed, and no request was made during that time," he said.

Mohseni Ejeie, who also acts as the judiciary's spokesman, suggested that Ahmadinejad's sudden interest in Evin was linked to "a person affiliated to (the government) in prison" – a reference to the president's press adviser, Ali Akbar Javanfekr.

Javanfekr was arrested in September and sent to Evin prison for a six-month sentence after being convicted of publishing material deemed offensive to Islam and for insulting Iranian leaders.

Mohseni Ejeie said the timing of president's request suggested there was "a political dimension" to it, saying, "In this situation, it is not appropriate."

According to Iranian media, Ahmadinejad had planned to visit Evin prison on Octber 8, but the visit was "postponed" by the judicial authority, which is controlled by conservative hard-liners who see the president and Javanfekr as trying to undermine religious principles.

Ahmadinejad has accused his political opponents of using the judiciary to imprison his aides and exert pressure on his reign. The judiciary, meanwhile, has accused the president of violating the separation of powers in the Islamic republic. .....

[Eleutheria5]

Separation of powers? Let's see. The executive branch shall gun down all demonstrators, send out hit squads abroad to silence exiled dissidents, and send thugs to break up all opposition meetings. The judiciary shall do all torturings, beheadings, and malnourishing of all prisoners, and provide unsanitary, poorly lighted and ventilated prison cells, without sufficient room to stand upright, and shall prevent the prisoners from being seen by former employers.

[AU72]

He’ll in there soon enough for a longer stay.

[marron]

This is an odd story.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

This Evin Prison in Tehran? Where the green movement demonstrators were jailed?

This green movement, not our environment wackos

[muir_redwoods]

The mullahs are doing some succession planning and don’t want Ahmadamnednutjob doing any scoping of his next home.

[momincombatboots]

Wow... bump for after coffee.