Iran Presidents special aid for religious minorities Ali Younesi[/caption]An Iranian court has set bail fora senior presidential adviser while investigations continue regarding his controversial remarks on Irans foreign policy.
Irans Special Clerical Court (SCC) announced Wednesday that Ali Younesi, President Hassan Rouhanis adviser on ethnic and religious minority affairs, wassummoned to the court a day earlier on charges of a campaignagainst national security and propagation of lies.
A proper bail was set forhim after he was indicted, the prosecutor general for the SCC's Tehranbranch,Mohammad Movahhedi, told Irans judiciary news service, Mizan.
Younesi sparked controversy last weekafterremarks about Irans sphereof influence in the Middle East. In an address to a forum in Tehran on Sunday, Younesi said, At the moment, Iraq is not only the bastion of our civilization influence, butalso our identity, culture and our center and capital and this is true now as it has beenin the past.
The comments led to huge controversy inside and outside of Iran, with nearly a third of the Iran's290-seat parliament calling on Rouhani to dismiss him. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry also issued a statement, condemning the remarks as irresponsible.
The prosecutor said Younesi, who later tried to clarify what he really meant by his words, was summoned to the court based on a complaint by security officials and the Judiciary.
A former Iranian minister of intelligence from 2000 to 2005, Younesi has also served in top positions in the Iranian judicial system.
By Press TV
