With his two closest confidants behind bars, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is lashing out by writing open letters to both Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

On March 13, former Vice President Hamid Baghaei began a 15-year sentence over a corruption conviction. Shortly after, Ahmadinejad’s closest adviser, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, protested the verdict, criticized Iran’s judiciary and burned the conviction in front of the British Embassy. He was later arrested.

In response to the controversy and Ahmadinejad’s defiance over the conviction, Iran’s judiciary published Baghaei’s conviction. According to the papers published, Baghaei embezzled 3.7 million euros ($4.5 million) in addition to $590,000. The conviction document also noted that Baghaei was given the money by the Quds Force, a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with the aim to disperse it in certain African countries.

In his latest open letter, Ahmadinejad addressed Soleimani directly regarding Baghaei’s case. Ahmadinejad wrote that if indeed Baghaei was given money from the Quds Force, “it needs to be made clear for what reason, for what work, from where, according to which law, [and] which request from Baghaei.” The letter continued, “If Baghaei was not given any money — and he certainly wasn’t — why have you and your colleagues been silent about this claim and injustice?”