Imprisonment of hardline Iranian MP over Ghalibaf feud ignites fierce conservative backlash

Hardline Iranian MP Hamid Rasaei was sentenced to 10 months in Evin Prison for publishing falsehoods against Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, sparking a fierce backlash from fellow conservatives who accuse Ghalibaf of narrow-mindedness and prioritizing a feud over revolutionary unity. The dispute highlights deepening intra-conservative tensions in Iran.

Hardline Iranian MP Hamid Rasaei was sentenced to 10 months in Evin Prison after Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf filed a criminal complaint over a 2024 article Rasaei published before entering parliament. As editor-in-chief of 9 Dey, Rasaei alleged Ghalibaf manipulated parliamentary documents and called him a "parliamentary dictator" on social media. The court convicted Rasaei of "publishing falsehoods with intent to harm others," ordering him to publish a retraction and apologize — demands he refused, calling the ruling "non-legal and political." The sentencing ignited a fierce backlash from fellow hardliners. Parliamentarian Seyyed Mahmoud Naboyan criticized Ghalibaf on X, writing that negotiating with "the killer of the martyr leader" does not justify confronting critics. MP Mohammad-Manan Raeisi contacted Ghalibaf's office urging cancellation of the judgment, warning it would cause officials to lose respect for the speaker. Raeisi accused Ghalibaf of "narrow-mindedness" and said the feud reveals a "new curtain of reconciliation" that excludes revolutionary representatives. The article notes that Ghalibaf is seen by some as more favorable to negotiations with Washington, adding a layer of intra-conservative tension to the dispute.