Conservative cleric’s son detained

Mehdi Khazali, a vocal critic of the Ahmadinejad administration, has been arrested by the security forces. Reportedly, Khazali was arrested on charges of acting against national security and attempting to mislead the public. Khazali is the son of Ayatollah Abolqasem Khazali, a long-serving member of the Assembly of Experts. Ayatollah Khazali has disavowed his son’s anti-system remarks and actions. Mehdi Khazali was also arrested during the political unrest following the June 2009 presidential election and later was released on bail.
Prominent reformist cleric says prefers to remain silent
Majid Ansari, a senior member of the reformist Association of Combatant Clerics, has said that in the current political situation, the most logical policy is staying silent, because criticism falls on deaf ears. Ansari, who is a member of the Expediency Council, has also commented that the current administration can not be called principlist because a group that claims to be the upholder of the Islamic principles does not violate ethical values.
Pro-reform party not banned
Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini, the deputy interior minister for political affairs, has announced that the reformist National Confidence Party is not banned and only its office in Tehran is sealed on the court order. The remarks came in response to MP Mohammad Reza Khabaz who has recently criticized the administration for imposing restrictions on the activities of the reformist party. National Confidence Party was established in 2005 by Mehdi Karroubi.
Ayatollah dismisses rumors
According to the ISNA news agency, Ayatollah Hossein Nuri-Hamadani has denied rumors that he receives funds from certain sources. In response to a seminary student’s question about the rumors, Ayatollah Nuri-Hamadani said, “I have not received even a penny from anyone.”