Following Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's accusatory remark that, "Some individuals were exerting ‎pressure on a judge not to convict the nuclear spy," and the response of Mousavian's supporters ‎that, "We have heard the opposite of Ahmadinejad's claim; That they are preventing the judge ‎from acquiting Mousavian," E'temad daily reported yesterday that Mousavian has been officially ‎cleared of all charges by the judiciary. No official source has yet denied or confirmed the news. ‎

Without explicitly naming Mousavian, E'temad daily reported, "It has been said that a judge has ‎cleared a defendant in a recent case that has made a lot of news. However, the judge's ruling will ‎not be published soon. Apparently, charges brought against this defendant were not proven in ‎court. The defendant was charged with nuclear spying." ‎

Previously, Ahmadinejad had threatened his domestic critics that "They would be exposed to the ‎Iranian people if pressures don't stop and they entertain the thought of retreat."‎

Ahmadinejad's attacks on Mousavian were followed by angry responses from clerics close to ‎former president Hashemi Rafsanjani, a close ally of Mousavian. In addition to Shemiran's ‎Friday Prayer leader (Shemiran is the northern suburb of Tehran), who accused Ahmadinejad of ‎taking credit for Rafsanjani's nuclear accomplishments, the former head of Iran's National ‎Security Council, Hassan Rowhani, criticized Ahmadinejad by noting, "In fact, some individuals ‎are pressuring the judge to convict Mousavian. "‎

An official from the Servants of Construction Party (a political party founded by Rafsanjani, ‎Khedmatgozarane Sazandeghi), Mohammad Atrianfar confirmed Rowhani's suspicion and soon ‎after, the editor of the conservative Jomhouri Eslami daily, Masih Mohajeri unleashed some of ‎the harshest attacks on Ahmadinejad to date, calling on the judiciary to put the president on trial ‎for propagating false and baseless accusations against his critics. ‎

Seyyed Hossein Mousavian is best known for his role as the spokesperson for the nuclear ‎negotiation team under Khatami. He was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents last spring ‎and released on bail seven days later. His case is currently awaiting a judgment by the judiciary. ‎

Reformist Norooz website, affiliated with the Participation Front (Jebhe Mosharekat), quoted an ‎informed insider and reported that Mousavian had prepared a "comprehensive and convincing" ‎defense brief, ".. the publication of which will reveal important points about the mistakes of the ‎current nuclear team and the baseless accusations brought against Mousavian." ‎

Norooz added that Mousavian has been banned from publishing his defense brief, adding, "The ‎judiciary continues to withstand pressure from the Administration by relying on information ‎from this brief." Norooz's knowledgeable insider also revealed that Hassan Rowhani's recent ‎remarks were made on the basis of information contained in Mousavian's defense brief. ‎

If E'temad daily's report about Mousavian's acquittal is true, then there is no doubt that ‎Ahmadinejad has been trying to influence the public opinion and mobilize his supporters ahead ‎of the decision's announcement. ‎

It remains to be seen how Ahmadinejad will react to the news of Mousavian's acquittal. ‎