Iran's president barred from visiting prison

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clashed Monday with the country's judiciary over his right to visit the prison where a jailed aide is held, in a new sign of the leader's waning influence.

He accused the judiciary of "unconstitutional" behavior and said he did not need permission to visit Evin prison, north of Tehran, as he was Iran's president.

Ahmadinejad once enjoyed the backing of the country's conservative clerical establishment but lost it when he was perceived to challenge the authority of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

His policies have been challenged in parliament and some of his allies have been prosecuted, including his top press advisor Ali Akbar Javanfekr, who was jailed last month after being convicted of publishing material deemed insulting to Khamenei.

Iran's state prosecutor said Sunday that the judiciary has rejected Ahmadinejad's request to visit Evin prison where Javanfekr is held, saying the president's planned visit appeared to be politically motivated. Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi said in remarks published in several Iranian newspapers Monday that Ahmadinejad would do better to focus on Iran's deepening economic problems than to visit Evin.

Ahmadinejad responded with a letter addressed to Iran's head of judiciary, Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, posted on the presidential website.

"I have to remind you that in the constitution, there is nothing that requires asking the permission or agreement of the judiciary when it comes to exercising the president's legal duties," Ahmadinejad wrote, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency.