Khamenei a 'tyrannical ruler,' ailing dissident tells Egypt's Morsi

Imprisoned political activist Abolfazl Ghadyani has warned Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi of the country’s return to a totalitarian era.

According to opposition website Kaleme, Ghadyani, 67, expressed hope that the new president would follow the path of Nelson Mandela, who stepped down after serving one term as president of South Africa between 1994 and 1999.

In his letter to Morsi, who recently took part in the Non-aligned Movement’s 16th summit in Tehran, Ghadyani warned about a repeat of the mistakes made following the Iranian Revolution.

“I hope that you, the revolutionaries and the great Egyptian nation draw lessons from the Islamic Revolution in Iran and do not allow the hijacking of the Egyptian Revolution at the hands of the autocrats and the shattering of the hopes and aspirations of the freedom-seekers.”

During his visit to Tehran last week, Morsi embarrassed his hosts by denouncing the Syrian regime, an ally of Iran and calling it “oppressive”.

Ghadyani, a senior member of the Mujahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organisation, a leading pro-reform group in Iran, said that it would have been even more preferable if Morsi had requested a meeting with the leaders of the opposition Green Movement who are currently under house arrest. “Even though such authorisation would certainly not have been granted, it would, at the very least, have brought about an opportunity for a resurfacing of the Iranian people's suppressed demands.”

The ailing dissident said that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was a “tyrannical ruler” who had made a mockery of concepts such as democracy and justice.

“Alas, all the criticisms he directed towards the international system—including the veto power, injustices, presenting the truth as lies and lies as truth, enforcing the will of those in power on the people, etc—have been taking place in this country for years and under his leadership,” the letter continued.

After serving out his initial one-year jail term after the 2009 presidential elections, Ghadyani was sentenced to an additional three years in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime, insulting the President,” and “insulting the Supreme Leader.”

In June 2012, Ghadyani released a statement from prison in which he scathingly compared Khamenei to Naser al-Din Shah, the 19th century Qajari tyrant who ruled Iran between 1848 and 1896.

“Ali Khamenei sees himself as the undisputed Sultan of Iran,” Ghadyani said, while holding the leader responsible for “all the blood that has been spilt” since the contested 2009 unrest.

In December 2011 he wrote from prison: “I, and those like me, did not sacrifice our lives, wealth and freedom for the victory of the revolution so that three decades later Mr Ali Khamenei could reign over the country like this.”

Prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Abolfazl Ghadyani was arrested by Savak—the Shah’s brutal secret police force—and spent four years in prison for opposing the western-backed dictator.

Nearly a month ago, Ghadyani was hospitalised after developing cardiac pain and other health complications as a result of his hunger strike.

Source : http://en.irangreenvoice.com/article/2012/sep/05/3818