Iranian authorities have arrested a hard-line theorist who heads a think tank in Tehran after he criticized the Iranian Army.
Iran's official IRNA news agency reported on August 3 that Hassan Abbasi, head of the Center for Doctrinal Strategic Studies, was arrested on charges of "spreading lies" and "creating an atmosphere of skepticism about the armed forces."
In a video published on social media networks in Iran, Abbasi, criticized the army for inaction -- particularly on social and political issues.
He later appeared before a military court, and defended his remarks -- which drew strong condemnation from the army and Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Abbasi -- who calls himself the "Kissinger of Islam” -- is known in Iran for his divisive speeches on subjects including economics, history, politics, and cinema.
