.Noted Reformist Cleric Jailed in Iran
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A prominent reformist cleric has been jailed and ordered defrocked several months after an Iranian court convicted him of endangering national security and insulting authorities, his brother said Wednesday.
Hadi Ghabel was taken to jail after he was invited for questioning at the Clerical Court in the holy city of Qom, his brother Ahmed Ghabel told The Associated Press.
"Hadi went to the court Monday to a meeting with the prosecutor but didn't return. We were informed that he was taken to jail to serve a 40-month sentence," Ahmed Ghabel said.
Hadi Ghabel, an ally of former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, was convicted in September and sentenced to 40 months in jail and ordered to be defrocked.
But the sentence was not enforced until this week. Several top conservative clerics had intervened in an effort to keep Ghabel's sentence from being carried out.
Ghabel, who also was convicted of spreading lies and insulting Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a prominent member of Iran's largest reform party, the Islamic Iran Participation Front. He is considered a key link between reformers and top Shiite clerics in Qom, located about 80 miles south of the capital, Tehran.
"Ghabel was taken to jail because he continued to work for democratic reforms and opposed hard-line interpretations of Islamic rule," his brother said. "Ghabel's close links with top clerics in Qom was annoying hard-liners. He was seen as a threat to their hard-line agenda in Qom."
Ghabel's party condemned his imprisonment, saying the cleric's "loyalty" to reformist goals was the reason behind the sentence.
"To hard-line authorities, my brother must not wear clerical robe anymore. But such tactics don't work. Defrocking my brother won't stop him from pursuing reforms," Ahmed Ghabel said.
Although the Clerical Court was designed to protect clerics from standing trial in civilian courts, the body also has been used to silence clerics opposing hard-liners in Iran's ruling establishment.
Reformists were pushed out of power in Iran after thousands of them were barred from running in the 2004 parliamentary elections. A year later, Khatami stepped down as president, and hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the presidential vote.
MyWay
Hadi Ghabel was taken to jail after he was invited for questioning at the Clerical Court in the holy city of Qom, his brother Ahmed Ghabel told The Associated Press.
"Hadi went to the court Monday to a meeting with the prosecutor but didn't return. We were informed that he was taken to jail to serve a 40-month sentence," Ahmed Ghabel said.
Hadi Ghabel, an ally of former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, was convicted in September and sentenced to 40 months in jail and ordered to be defrocked.
But the sentence was not enforced until this week. Several top conservative clerics had intervened in an effort to keep Ghabel's sentence from being carried out.
Ghabel, who also was convicted of spreading lies and insulting Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a prominent member of Iran's largest reform party, the Islamic Iran Participation Front. He is considered a key link between reformers and top Shiite clerics in Qom, located about 80 miles south of the capital, Tehran.
"Ghabel was taken to jail because he continued to work for democratic reforms and opposed hard-line interpretations of Islamic rule," his brother said. "Ghabel's close links with top clerics in Qom was annoying hard-liners. He was seen as a threat to their hard-line agenda in Qom."
Ghabel's party condemned his imprisonment, saying the cleric's "loyalty" to reformist goals was the reason behind the sentence.
"To hard-line authorities, my brother must not wear clerical robe anymore. But such tactics don't work. Defrocking my brother won't stop him from pursuing reforms," Ahmed Ghabel said.
Although the Clerical Court was designed to protect clerics from standing trial in civilian courts, the body also has been used to silence clerics opposing hard-liners in Iran's ruling establishment.
Reformists were pushed out of power in Iran after thousands of them were barred from running in the 2004 parliamentary elections. A year later, Khatami stepped down as president, and hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the presidential vote.
MyWay
posted by madtom at 5:48 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home