Iranian court summons former VP to answer charges

By Murat Karabag

ANKARA

Iran’s Revolutionary Court on Wednesday summoned former Vice-President Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei -- who briefly held the position under former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- to answer a raft of criminal charges, according to local media reports.

Iran’s Dolate Bahar website, known to be close to Ahmadinejad, reported that Rahim-Mashaei faces accusations of “disseminating propaganda against Iran’s ruling regime”, “slandering the leader” (a reference to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei), and “inciting the public to hatred”.

According to the summons, he has five days to answer the accusations against him.

Rahim-Mashaei briefly served as Ahmedinejad’s vice-president following Iran’s 2009 presidential poll, but was abruptly sacked after only one week in the position.

He tried to run in Iran’s 2013 presidential election, but his candidacy was blocked by Iran’s Guardian Council, one of the country’s most authoritative political bodies.

By Murat Karabag

ANKARA

According to the summons, he has five days to answer the accusations against him.

Rahim-Mashaei briefly served as Ahmedinejad’s vice-president following Iran’s 2009 presidential poll, but was abruptly sacked after only one week in the position.

He tried to run in Iran’s 2013 presidential election, but his candidacy was blocked by Iran’s Guardian Council, one of the country’s most authoritative political bodies.