After moderate cleric Hashemi Rafsanjani spoke out against the Guardian Council for disqualifying Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the late leader of the Islamic Republic, from running in the Assembly of Experts elections, conservative factions slammed Hashemi, referring to him as a “deviant and corrupt element” who should be disqualified as well.
The current Supreme Leader’s representative in the Basij said Ayatollah Rafsanjani should beware that the fate of late dissident cleric Ayatollah Montazeri does not befall him.
Ayatollah Montazeri, who was at first said to be the chosen successor of the late Ayatollah Khomeini as Supreme Leader of the country, was completely sidelined and confined to house arrest until his death for refusing to go along with the late leader’s decisions regarding a violent crackdown on opposition forces.
Several Iranian media outlets, especially those linked to the Revolutionary Guards, have spoken out against Hashemi Rafsanjani and called for his disqualification.
Hashemi Rafsanjani was quoted as saying the Guardian Council was not qualified to disqualify Hassan Khomeini and has called on the council to apologize to the younger Khomeini.
