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In yet another offensive today, Khamenei's faction tried to strike a blow against its rival factions.
192 members of the mullahs' Majlis wrote a letter to Khamenei today saying his message had "shed light and removed the obstacles." Following the escalation of feuding within the clerical regime with the imprisonment of Gholam Hossein Karbaschi, the former mayor of Tehran, Khamenei issued a statement yesterday confirming his condemnation.
The 192 deputies declared that "they are [religiously] obligated to follow the orders of the vali-e faqih," the supreme jurisprudent and leader.
Also, a number of officials and organs affiliated with the Judiciary made interviews and issued statements last night supporting Karbaschi's condemnation. They stressed that the sentence accorded to Karbaschi was much less than the crimes he had committed.
146 members of the clerical regime's Majlis sent a letter to Khamenei yesterday, urging him to intervene and resolve the Karbaschi affair. Earlier, Rafsanjani and Khatami issued messages regretting the imprisonment of Karbaschi and called for his freedom. Contrary to the expectations of Khamenei's faction, the mullahs' Majlis opposed the motion for the impeachment of Khatami's Minister of Guidance, last week.
There are no prospects for an end to
the contentions and conflicts of recent days within the ruling clique and
the Majlis. Simultaneous with the expansion of the activities and operations
of the Iranian Resistance and the protests and uprisings all across the
country, such feuding expedites the overthrow of the religious, terrorist
dictatorship ruling Iran.
Karbaschi in Jail: Extorting Money on Behalf of Other Embezzlers, Cosmetic Changes for Torture Chambers, The Associated Press, May 12
Since beginning a prison sentence last week for embezzlement, Tehran's former mayor Karbaschi has begun a collection among prisoners to pay off small fines for inmates jailed for embezzling or writing bad checks.
He's also looking to rearrange facilities in Tehran's notorious Evin prison to expand its green space, the Iran paper said, citing a report from another newspaper.
Karbaschi was sent to prison last week
to serve a two-year sentence for corruption. He had been out on bail since
being convicted in July of embezzling public funds.
Tension Between Iran And Turkey, Reuter, May 12
Islam-based Virtue Party deputy Merve Kavakci became the subject of investigations by prosecutors and electoral authorities after she sparked uproar by entering the officially secularist parliament in a Moslem headscarf.
Turkish officials have accused her of acting as an "agent provocateur" for foreign countries and a row has started with Iran over that country's alleged backing for Kavakci.
Women members of parliament in Iran voiced support for Kavakci in a letter quoted by Iranian media on Wednesday.
[Other reports indicate that tensions
have risen in recent days between the two neighboring countries. Turkey's
Prime Minister accused Iran of promoting radical Islam and backing Kurdish
rebels. In Iran, students of the Al-Zahra seminary held a rally on Tuesday
in support of Kavakci. On the same day, Iranian newspapers accused Turkish
border patrols of killing some seven Iranians; Turkish government officials
denied any such incident took place. The governor of Turkey's Yukesekova
district said: "They are mixing Iran and Turkey…such things
don't happen here."]
PRESS DIGEST, Reuter, May 1999
TEHRAN—These are some of the leading stories in Iranian newspapers this week.
SALAM - President Mohammad Khatami said a recent slump in oil prices, unemployment, and foreign debt repayments were the main economic problems facing the government.
TEHRAN TIMES - An assassination attempt against judiciary head Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi was "discovered and neutralized," the paper quoted an informed source as saying.
SOBH-E EMROUZ - The price of
goods and services in Tehran were 19.7 percent higher year-on-year in the
month to April 20, rising 4.4 percent from the previous month, the Central
Bank said.