(Deutsche Welle-Germany) Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, a senior Iranian cleric considered a possible successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died Monday at the age of 70. Shahroudi had been the head of the powerful Expediency Council since last year and a member of the 12-man Guardian Council. As head of the judiciary between 1999 and 2009, Shahroudi led a crackdown on dissidents and reformists. Human rights groups say he was responsible for executing more than 2,000 people.
2018-12-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive