Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of Iran’s Expediency Council and onetime close adviser to the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, has once again stirred up controversy in Iran with his recent comments in defense of Khomeini’s grandson, Seyyed Hassan Khomeini.

Hassan Khomeini, the most prominent living relative of Ayatollah Khomeini, was recently disqualified by the Guardian Council to run in the Assembly of Experts elections. The Assembly of Experts serves for eight years and is in charge of electing the supreme leader in Iran. Khomeini, who contends he never received the text message informing him to take the written exam, has decided to appeal the Guardian Council’s decision.

Perhaps trying to influence public opinion or the Guardian Council, at a Feb. 1 ceremony for the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini’s return to Iran from a 15-year exile, Rafsanjani discussed Hassan Khomeini’s disqualification and perhaps in the strongest language yet, criticized the Guardian Council for the decision.

“They did not give approval to a figure who is similar to his grandfather Imam [Khomeini],” Rafsanjani said. Without addressing the Guardian Council directly, he added, “Where did you receive your qualification? Who gave you permission to judge? Who gave you the podium of Friday prayers and state television?”