Iranian police have suddenly and without explanation arrested Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi, a known ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Mr. Mortazavi has a colorful past, including suspension from office in 2010 after three anti-government protesters died in jail. On Sunday, he was in the middle of a boisterous parliamentary session over parliamentary rifts and the upcoming presidential election, according to Agence France-Presse. Parliament has been split over Mr. Ahmadinejad since April 2011, when he challenged the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to AFP, and Sunday’s brawl was just the latest in a string of legislative battles over Iran’s leadership.
Following Sundays outbreak, Mr. Mortazavi was arrested — and his disappearance is largely seen as a hit to Mr. Ahmadinejad’s power, according to various media.
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Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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