Moderate Iranian cleric criticizes Supreme Leader for lack of support

Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council says he expected the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei to speak out against the “accusations” made against “certain officials of the regime.”

Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani said in an interview that Mahmoud Ahmadienjad’s statements in his presidential debate with MirHosein Mousavi were “highly inappropriate.”

On June 3, 2009, over a week before the election date, in his debate with MirHosein Mousavi, his opponent in the presidential campaign, accused the family of Hashemi Rafsanjani of financial corruption.

Three days before the elections, Hashemi Rafsanjani sent an open letter to Ayatollah Khamenei calling for his “intervention” in the accusations made against him.

He claims the Supreme Leader has no criticism against the content of the letter but maintains that the timing of the letter was inappropriate.

Hashemi Rafsanjani claims that he could not have left the letter for after the elections. He states: “In case of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s loss, it would be inappropriate to create conflicts with him; and in case of his victory, it would be an affront to his victory celebrations.”

Hashemi Rafsanjani has criticized Ahmadienjad’s policies in the past year on several occasions. In the opposite camp, Ahmadinejad supporters claim Rafsanajani is the “root of all problems.”

The Rafsanjani family has also announced that they have filed libel lawsuits against Ahmadinejad with the judiciary.