Hojjatoleslam Abbas Amirifar (born 1957) is the prayer leader of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

ian president

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ( fa, محمود احمدی‌نژاد, Mahmūd Ahmadīnežād ), born Mahmoud Sabbaghian ( fa, محمود صباغیان, Mahmoud Sabbāghyān, 28 October 1956),

and head of the presidential cultural committee. He was arrested in May 2011 on charges of "sorcery", after he produced a controversial film predicting the imminent return of the

Mahdi The Mahdi ( ar, ٱلْمَهْدِيّ, al-Mahdī, lit=the Guided) is a Messianism, messianic figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the Eschatology, end of times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a de ...

,Ahmadinejad losing ground in Iran power struggle, analysts say
, By Matt Smith , CNN , May 26, 2011 (the title of which—Zohur Besyar Nazdik Ast—has been translated as "Appearance is Close!"
Source: Radio Zamaneh, 5/03/11). According to

Radio Zamaneh Radio Zamaneh ( fa, رادیو زمانه) is an Amsterdam-based Persian language exile news platform and former radio broadcaster. "Zamaneh" is the Persian literary term for "time". Radio Zamaneh is an independent Persian-language exile media a ...

, he was "referred to the Special Court for the Clergy for his involvement in the production and distribution" of the film, as well as for "disturbing public minds and insulting political groups and figures." The arrest is thought to be part of a dispute between the president and other conservatives, including the supreme leader. "At least 25" supporters of Ahmadinejad have been arrested in 2011, including

Mohammed Sharif Malekzadeh Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh (born in Zabul city, Sistan and Baluchistan province) is a former Vice President of Iran who served as the head of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and H ...

and Kazem Kiapasha."Abbas Amirifar released Wed after 40 dys in solitary, immediately rearrested by Special Clerical Court #Iran #Iranelection
Twitter / Persian Banoo: (Tweeted 16 June 2011)

References

Living people Iranian Shia clerics 1957 births {{Islam-bio-stub

See also

References