Prominent detainee calls for dismissal and prosecution of Iran Supreme Leader

Issa Saharkhiz

Issa Saharkhiz, former head of Iran's Press Supervisory Board accused Iran's Supreme Leader of "remaining silent in the face of detainee torture" and announced his intention to press charges against the leader.

Khodnevis website reports that Saharkhiz was put on trial behind closed doors today at the branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court.

According to the reports: "Saharkhiz was brought to the court in shackles and dedicated the text of his defense to the people of Iran."

The head of the banned monthly magazine Aftab told the court that on the day of his arrest last July, he was "beaten and tortured" by security officers.

He added: "Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, has trampled the constitution and all the rules and principles of Velayat Faqih (leadership of an expert clergy) and has deviated from the path of justice, fairness and impartiality in elections in such a manner that he openly claims that he prefers one candidate to another and his heart beats for the victory of that candidate."

Saharkhiz says that this course of action taken by the leader "set the stage for the engineered elections" of 2009.

The outcome of the presidential elections of 2009 was disputed through massive street protests with millions of people accusing the government of vote fraud to secure Mahmoud Ahmadienjad's victory.

The government denied the accusations and the Supreme Leader put his seal of approval on the outcome of the elections despite widespread protests.