Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i (Persian: غلامحسین محسنی اژه‌ای‎‎, Persian pronunciation: [ɢolɒːmhosejne mohsenije eʒei]; born 1956) was the minister of intelligence from 2005 to July 2009, when he was abruptly dismissed. He has also held a number of governmental posts since 1984. Currently he is the first deputy of Chief Justice of Iran.

Early life and education

Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejehei was born in Ezhiyeh, Isfahan, Iran in 1956. He is a graduate of the Haqqani school in Qom and one of his teachers was Mesbah Yazdi. He also received a master's degree in international law from the Haqqani school.

Career

Mohseni-Eje'i served as the head of the ministry of intelligence's select committee from 1984 to 1985. Then he was the representative of the judiciary chief to the ministry of intelligence (1986–88). He served as the head of the prosecutor’s office for economic affairs from 1989 to 1990. Next he held the post of the representative of the judiciary chief to the ministry of intelligence from 1991 to 1994. His next post was the prosecutor of the Special Clerical Court which he held from 1995 to 1997. He was appointed minister of intelligence on 24 August 2005 after securing 217 votes in favor at the Majlis. He was in office until 26 July 2009 when he was abruptly dismissed. No reason was given for his dismissal, but it was thought to be connected to his opposition to the appointment of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei as first vice president.

Shortly after his dismissal, on 24 August 2009, he was appointed prosecutor general of Iran by judiciary chief, Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani. He replaced Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi in the post.

Activities and views

On 15 July 2009, Mohseni-Ejehei told reporters that his ministry might publicize confessions made by people held for weeks without access to lawyers. He said "The confessions obtained from those arrested could be made public, should the Judiciary decide to air their remarks." Human rights activists raised concerns that "these so-called confessions are obtained under duress."

After his dismissal Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad praised Mohsen-Eje'i as a good human being but said his removal was necessary as the ministry needed huge changes to cope with situation. He further said if ministry had done its job properly, there would not have been post-election bloody riots in which some people died, but he stopped short of criticizing Mohseni-Eje'i as responsible for them.

He is considered to be a conservative hardliner affiliated with hardline cleric Mohammad Yazdi.

See also

• Chain Murders of Iran

References

Political offices
Preceded by Ali Younessi	Minister of Intelligence 2005–2009	Succeeded by Heydar Moslehi
Legal offices
Preceded by Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi	Attorney-General of Iran 2009–2014	Succeeded by Seyed Ebrahim Reisie

External links

• 18 of Iran’s 21 new ministers hail from Revolutionary Guards, secret police with a photograph of Mohseni-Ejehei
• Mohseni Ezhei: From Inquisitor to Minister of Information