‎In continuation of the public propaganda attacks by the political right against the ‎reformist minority candidates for the March 14 parliamentary elections in Iran, some ‎prominent right wing personalities and their supporters called former reformist President ‎Mohammad Khatami a “traitor” after his meeting with the German ambassador in Tehran ‎last week.

The issue of Khatami meeting with the German ambassador was even brought up by the ‎spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during his news conference. In response ‎to a question raised by a reporter regarding the rules and practices governing the meeting ‎of members of political parties with foreign ambassadors, the spokesperson said, “The ‎Foreign Ministry was not informed of this meeting,” adding, “that Iranian nationals need ‎to coordinate their contacts with foreign missions in Iran and inform relevant agencies of ‎this, but contacts and meetings within legal bounds are not problematic.”‎

Khatami, who is also the former secretary of the Mosharekat party, had an unofficial ‎meeting with the German ambassador last month which he described as “normal and ‎unofficial,” thus not requiring notification to the Foreign Ministry. In this meeting, whose ‎discussions are documented and available, according to Reza Khatami (a deputy Speaker ‎of the sixth Majlis in 2000-2004), the third UN Security Council resolution against Iran ‎was discussed and Reza Khatami said in this regard that any resolution would be ‎detrimental to the Iranian nation and was thus opposed.‎

The issue of this meeting came up officially, although indirectly for the first time when it ‎was mentioned in a February speech by President Ahmadinejad. Without naming Reza ‎Khatami or the German ambassador, Ahmadinejad said, “These days some meet with the ‎ambassador of a foreign European country and in some quarters say that the government ‎is isolated in its nuclear program and does not enjoy any support from the public.”‎

Last Sunday, during a debate between Reza Khatami and Mohammad Reza Bahonar, the ‎deputy speaker of the current seventh Majlis in 2004-2008, latter for the first time ‎directly mentioned Mohammad Khatami’s meeting with the German ambassador. Within ‎a few hours after the public disclosure of this unofficial meeting, which was followed up ‎with a strong defense by Reza Khatami, some members of the right began using the event ‎to character assassinate reformist personalities.‎

On Sunday, the debate between Speaker deputies of the sixth and seventh Majlis, ‎Bahonar initially made a general reference to Khatami’s meeting with the German ‎embassy, and said, “Our friends must be careful not to reveal the differences that we have ‎among ourselves to others. Or some friends who visit foreign ambassadors have been ‎impatiently waiting for a third resolution so they can embark on something.”‎

In the course of the debate when Mohammad Reza Khatami’s said, “Mr. Bahonar ‎clarified to me that the subject he raised, if it had taken place, would constitute espionage ‎and treason.” Bahonar interjection and asked, “Have you had a meeting with the German ‎ambassador?” to which Khatami responded, “Yes, I have and all the discussions are ‎documented.” Then Bahonar asked, “Did you not raise concerns regarding the third [UN ‎Security Council] resolution?” Khatami responded, “In all our meetings we have said that ‎any resolution that is passed against Iran is detrimental to the Iranian nation and ‎postpones the process of democratization.”‎

It was after this that Bahonar threw in his wrench, “Did the German ambassador promise ‎that the resolution would be issued before elections?” Khatami rejected the suggestion, ‎adding, “He [the German ambassador] said that a resolution would most certainly be ‎issued against Iran within a month, and I told him that this was the wrong thing and ‎should not take place. What is interesting is that how does Mr. Bahonar know the details ‎of these talks so well?” to which Bahonar asked, “Do you not think the regime should not ‎know of these talks?” Khatami: “I request that anyone who has revealed any state secrets ‎and provided guidance to the US, be tried, but in public. We too will support this.”‎