Top Cleric Implicated In Corruption Apologizes To Khamenei

The interim Friday Imam of Tehran and senior advisor to the chief justice, who was involved in a recent corruption scandal, has issued an apology to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In a video message released on Friday, Kazem Sedighi extended his apologies to the "esteemed leader," alluding to Khamenei. The cleric, however, did not apologize to the people, instead urging them to "pray for him."

Sedighi admitted to negligence and mistakes on his part without giving further details. The apology came in the wake of mounting pressure, notably after Imam Sadiq University in Tehran, which is close to regime hardliners, removed Sedighi's name from its list of speakers for Ramadan ceremonies.

Sedighi, who has earned the moniker "the weeping sheikh" from critics, faced accusations of appropriating public land after documents surfaced indicating the illegal seizure of land in northern Tehran. Initially denying the allegations and attributing his signature on the documents to forgery, Sedighi's defense crumbled with the emergence of further evidence.

Recent revelations unveiled the transfer of a 4200-square-meter garden belonging to a seminary, worth an estimated $20 million, to an entity controlled by him and his family. In his apology, Sedighi disclosed that the land had been returned to the seminary.

The scandal has sparked widespread outrage, particularly on social media, reflecting the growing discontent over corruption within influential circles. Sedighi's apology, while addressing the Supreme Leader, leaves unanswered questions regarding his accountability.