Iran's Third Rail

Accusing establishment officials of corruption does seem to be the third rail of Iranian politics:

"Iran's judiciary said on Tuesday it has detained six people and was in pursuit of five more linked to a man arrested after making unprecedented allegations against top Iranian clerics.

"Abbas Palizdar -- a mid-ranking civil servant -- was arrested on June 11 for spreading lies after the publication of his comments made in a speech aroused a wave of condemnation from the government and clerical establishment.

"'So far, arrest warrants has been issued for 11 people, six of whom are in detention,' judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi told reporters...

"Palizdar made corruption allegations against prominent clerics including ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Teheran Friday prayer speaker Mohammad Emami Kashani, former parliament speaker Ali Akbar Nateq Nuri and former judiciary chief Mohammad Yazdi.

"He had been working for a parliamentary body that was compiling a report into the investigative work of the judiciary, which would have likely given him access to confidential information."

(Crossposted to American Footprints)