Grandson of prominent Iranian religious reference accused of sexual harassment

A school supervisor in Tehran who is the grandson of religious reference Ayatollah Mohiyeddin Haeri-Shirazi, a former member of the Assembly of Experts, has been accused of sexually harassing students, Iranian media outlets reported on Tuesday.

A video of the defendant’s trial shared by Iranian activists showed the students’ parents gathered at the judge’s office as the mothers chanted against the defendant. The police then intervened to prevent the parents from attacking him.

According to Iranian media outlets, the supervisor, identified as Mohammed Hussein Haeri, at the all-male school in Tehran sexually harassed at least 15 of the students by showing them movies containing sexual content and forcing them to engage in sexual acts among each other or with him.

Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari said the parents of 15 students said the supervisor “sexually harassed” their children, adding that the defendant confessed to showing them videos with sexual content but denied harassing them or raping them.

According to ILNA news agency, the education council in Tehran will decide suspending the work of the school where the supervisor works.

Social media users interacted with the news and compared the case with that of Qur'an reciter Saeed Toosi who is described as Ali Khamenei’s favorite Qur’an reciter and who was found not guilty of raping 19 of his students.

They voiced their fears that the school supervisor will escape punishment like Toosi did and demanded a public trial.

Meanwhile, Khamenei ordered trying the supervisor immediately and punishing him if found guilty.