Grandson of revolutionary leader barred from Iranian election

Iran's conservative-controlled Guardian Council, the body responsible for vetting potential election candidates, has barred a grandson of late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini from running in the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 14, Reuters reported Wednesday.

Ali Eshraghi, a 39-year-old civil engineer, says that the reasons for his disqualification have not been made clear. “My neighbors told me they were questioned about my private life, including ... whether I shaved, whether I pray or fast or smoke,” he said.

Eshraghi is just one of thousands who have not been permitted to run in the upcoming elections.

The Guardian Council has the power to bar any candidate it considers to be disloyal to the principles of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

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