Forty-five people held after attack on brother of Iranian
spiritual guide
TEHRAN, Feb 18 (AFP) - Forty-five people in Iran have been arrested
in connection with last week's attack on Hadi Khamenei, brother of supreme
leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the official IRNA news agency reported Thursday.
Hadi Khamenei, an adviser to reformist President Mohammad Khatami,
was beaten up by fundamentalist activists at the Mohammadiyeh mosque in
the holy city of Qom last Thursday.
Authorities in Qom said the arrests had been made "with the people's
assistance" and the case had been forwarded to a special investigation
committee handling the incident.
Hadi Khamenei has attracted controversy for taking political positions
different from those of his brother, a religious conservative. He is the
publisher of the radical daily Jahan-e-Islam, which supports Khatami.
Newspaper reports last week said the people who attacked him also broke
windows in the mosque, hauled down portraits of the president and shouted
"Death to Khatami."
Khamenei was treated in hospital for his injuries but was able to go
home.
One of his close associates, Rasul Montajabnia, was also reported to
have been beaten up the same day in Qom.
There has been a wave of attacks recently against pro-Khatami politicians
ahead of next week's first-ever municipal elections in the Islamic republic.
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