Iran Feature: The President's Best Man and His Fake University Degree

For many weeks, we have been following the battle within the Iranian establishment. One of the key fronts in that conflict, which may or may not be to the political death, is over Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, President Ahmadinejad's good friend, close advisor, and Chief of Staff.

In this week's updates alone, we have noted criticism of Rahim-Mashai by clerics, politicians, and newspapers, the announcement by a Parliamentary commission of a "special case" investigation into his activities, and even the claim that he gave away $150 vouchers to local VIPs so they would attend his speech. This, however, may be the most intriguing manoeuvre....

The "hard-line" Mashregh News alleged that Rahim-Mashai is lying when he claims to hold a degree from Chabahar University. It said he paid no fees and asked how he could have completed the studies when he holds 20 official jobs.

The follow-up was even more curious, possibly incriminating. Instead of dealing with the case, both the President's office and University officials denied that Rahim-Mashai had ever enrolled for a degree. At this point, other newspapers such as Ayande News produced a screenshot --- deleted on the "updated" Chabahar website --- of Rahim-Mashai's record.

An official suggested that the University's website had been hacked to put up fake documents, but other students verified that a real version of Rahim-Mashai had attended some classes. One even offered a photograph from a mobile phone:

Tales of Government officials with false University degrees are far from diversions in Iran. Minister of Interior Ali Kordan resigned in disgrace in November 2008 after his claim of a Ph.D. from Oxford University was exposed. Current Minister of Higher Education Kamran Daneshjoo survived, but only after some controversy, over distortions of his record in British universities.

Rahim-Mashai --- and his Presidential backer --- are made of tougher political material. Still, it is notable that the campaign against the Chief of Staff is building, and none of this is coming from the derided elements of "sedition".