Defeated reformist candidate requests recount

Assembly of Experts candidate Ayatollah Mohammad Sajjadi has filed a complaint with the Guardian Council calling for a recount of his votes.

Jaati- Sajjadi

According to the final aouncement of the Interior Ministry, Sajjadi, who was one of the 16 candidates endorsed by reformists, came in 17th just after ultra-conservative candidate Ahmad Jaati, who was 16th.

On Wednesday March 2, the Shargh daily reported that Sajjadi wrote a letter to the Guardian Council, challenging the number of votes counted for him and calling for a recount to clear all doubts.

Some unofficial reports indicate that Jaati did not get the necessary votes to enter the Assembly of Experts and his vote count was manipulated to make him the 16th, thus bumping Sajjadi.

Other unofficial reports indicate that Jaati was briefly hospitalized due to “election pressures”. While the reports have been denied, the senior cleric has not been seen in public in recent days.

Sajjadi is the only candidate on the reformists’ list who did not get into the Assembly of Experts.

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