December 29, 2017
President Rohani last Tues-day called on Iranians to speak out to defend their rights, as he criticized the country’s security apparatus.
“The people are right, not the government,” the cleric said, in a speech marking one year since he launched an Iranian bill of rights.
“We must work to make the rights of citizens a culture,” Rohani said, urging young people and social media users to air their grievances if rights are not “implemented.”
Rohani’s charter of rights is meant to guarantee freedom of speech, protest, fair trials and privacy.
But reformist media have been critical of him for failing to deliver greater social freedoms.
Many institutions in the Islamic Republic, including the Judiciary and Pasdaran, remain firmly in the grip of hardliners and do not answer to the president.
Turning his sights on the security establishment, Rohani called on them to “reduce interference” in people’s lives and “let them mind their own business.”
“People want the government to leave them alone,” he said.
Rohani did not urge people into the streets to protest—that would be crossing a red line, But he seemed to suggest making noise on social media.