Hassan Khomeini targeted by Iranian hardliner

Ayatollah Khomeini's grandson, Hassan Khomeini

Ali Saidi, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in the Revolutionary Guards spoke out against Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Khomeini, for taking a stance against "the system and the Leader.”

In response to a letter from the head of the Institute of Ayatollah Khomeini’s Publications, Mohammad Ali Ansari, who had in turn written to Saidi to remind him of the late Leader’s insistence of no military intervention in politics, Ali Saidi criticized Hassan Khomeini’s decision not to attend the last inauguration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after the election disputes.

The inauguration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was not attended by several prominent figures of the Islamic Republic following the allegation of fraud which protesters claim secured Ahamidnejad’s re-election. Former President Mohammad Khatami and Chairman of the Expediency Council, Ayatollah Rafsanjani are amongst the other top figures that stayed away from the ceremony along with Hassan Khomeini who has aligned himself with the opposition.

Ali Saidi dismissed criticisms regarding intervention of the Revolutionary Guards in politics and maintained that the problem lies in mistaken interpretations of Ayatollah Khomeini’s sayings.

Ayatollah Khamenei’s representative also criticizes the “meaningful silence” of Hassan Khomeini in the post-election events which he claims has created “doubts and questions” in the minds of the Guards and Basij forces regarding Ayatollah Khomeini’s kin.

In addition to his absence from Ahmadinejad’s inauguration, Hassan Khomeini’s visit with Alireza Beheshti, who was recently released from prison at the time, has also been regarded as a move in support of the opposition. Alireza Beheshti is one of the top aides of the opposition leader, MirHosein Mousavi and was arrested twice in connection with the post-election protests.