Arrest of the Son and Daughter-in-law of Tehran’s Friday Prayer Leader
Arrest of the Son and Daughter-in-law of Tehran’s Friday Prayer Leader
The editor-in-chief of Iran Gate, during the revelation of the illegal seizure of the Ezgol garden by Kazem Sedighi and his children, amidst this news, reported on the depth and breadth of the economic corruption of Kazem Sedighi’s children, Tehran’s Friday Prayer Leader. Saeed Aganji, editor-in-chief of Iran Gate and investigative journalist, revealed that Sedighi’s children in the Ghadir Foundation engaged in networking for extensive financial abuse.
Aganji also spoke of their organized connections with some expatriate children of officials. According to this investigative journalist, the issue of the illegal seizure and ownership of the Ezgol garden is just the tip of the iceberg of the Sedighi family’s corruption.
Now, Iranian news agencies have reported that two sons of Kazem Sedighi, Tehran’s Friday Prayer Leader and head of the Command for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, have been arrested by judicial authorities on charges of financial corruption. IRIB news agency published this news on Sunday, June 8, quoting informed sources, but provided no details. Fars News Agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, cited various violations and dealings as the reason for the arrests and, quoting an informed source, wrote that the case of the accused is being pursued with special precision and sensitivity, and the judiciary is determined to handle this case completely professionally and independently, unaffected by media controversies.
These media outlets have not published the names or details about the violations of the sons of Tehran’s Friday Prayer Leader, but Fars states that they were arrested two weeks ago.
The Telegram channel Saber News, close to security sources, reported that these two individuals were arrested in coordination with the judiciary and by the intelligence organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Kazem Sedighi, on Monday, June 9, reacted to this news by announcing that one of his children is in custody.
He told Tasnim News Agency that about a week ago, his child was arrested on a judicial order and is currently in custody while the judiciary goes through the process of examining the charge.
The Friday Prayer Leader of Tehran, stating that he abides by the law, added that if the accusation attributed is true and proven, it should be dealt with according to the law.
Mr. Sedighi claimed that he has not pursued anything regarding his child’s arrest and added that he hasn’t even gone after him.
In this interview, he made no mention of the accusations against his child.
Kazem Sedighi, who has been representing Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, as Tehran’s Friday Prayer Leader for years, has himself been accused of economic and financial corruption.
Yashar Soltani, the former chief editor of Memari News, on March 13, 2024, published documents showing that Kazem Sedighi, along with his sons, had seized a garden measuring 4,200 square meters in the Ezgol area of Tehran.
Tehran’s Friday Prayer Leader initially claimed that his signature was forged, but the Tehran Seminary later confirmed that Mr. Sedighi himself signed the property transfer document in the office.
Despite this revelation and the controversies that arose around this issue on social media and Iranian media, Mr. Sedighi continues to attend Friday prayers in Tehran as the Friday Prayer Leader.
While he has repeatedly invited people to be patient with economic problems during Friday prayers, he has established a seminary named after Ruhollah Khomeini, which, according to Iranian media, is luxurious.
According to a report published by the Roydad website about this seminary, its building is located in a four-story, eight-unit structure in the Ezgol area of Tehran, considered one of the most expensive areas of Tehran. Each unit includes four rooms, and the total number of rooms amounts to 32.
The school’s meeting hall is located in the basement, part of which is temporarily used as a sports hall.