TEHRAN – In an indirect reference to the recent insulting remarks against President Hassan Rouhani, the Tehran prosecutor has said insulting officials is a crime.

“Insulting the country’s officials or organizations is a crime and legally pursuable,” Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi told a press conference on Monday, the Iran newspaper reported.

In relevant remarks on the same day, Rouhani’s deputy for legal affairs praised the president’s self-constraint in the face of insults, saying, “Mr. President’s patience has made the insulters more furious.”

SP/PA