Ahmadinejad sues senior religious leader for insulting remark
September 13th, 2009 - 7:27 pm ICT by IANSTehran, Sep 13 (DPA) The office of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sued a senior religious leader, or Ayatollah, over “insulting remarks” against the president, Fars news agency reported Sunday.
An informed source told Fars that after “insulting remarks” by Ayatollah Youssef Sanei against the president, the legal department of the presidential office has filed a complaint at the special clergy court.
Grand Ayatollah Sanei, 72, is one of the most senior clerics of the country who has been critical of Ahmadinejad and on several times openly voiced this criticism.
The Ayatollah had reportedly said in a meeting last month that punishment for those who kill Muslims would be “eternal hell” and while supporting opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi, condemned the violent approach against protestors and trials against dissidents.
The opposition has accused the government of fraud in the June 12 presidential election and not yet acknowledged Ahmadinejad’s re-election.
Death toll statistics of protesters in the demonstrations vary from 20 to 70. Some 4,000 people have been arrested of which between 100 to 200 have been charged with plans to topple the Islamic system through a soft revolution.
Ahmadinejad has called on the judiciary to take legal action against the opposition leaders for having initiated the unrests.
The opposition is currently led by the quartet of Moussavi, former parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi and the two ex-presidents Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani.
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