Once again, Iran’s former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made headlines following his controversial remarks targeting judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani and his brother, parliament Speaker Ali Larijani. The war of words illustrates yet again Ahmadinejad’s typical strategy, which is to attack influential political families to gain more popularity with the public. Thus, his latest attacks on the Larijani clan can be viewed as a new chapter in the activities of a man whose political life relies on attacking others.
Several figures close to the former president have either been convicted or are facing pending trials over financial corruption charges. Ahmadinejad, however, claims the judiciary is using politics to pressure him and his allies. In an open letter dated Oct. 26, he criticized the summoning of his former deputy Hamid Baghaei and the legal procedure against Baghaei, accusing judiciary officials of using their powers as a “tool at the service of their personal ends.” Baghaei was Ahmadinejad's deputy from 2011-13; Ahmadinejad was president from 2005-13.
