Iranian Math Student Criticizes the Supreme Ayatollah to his Face

Iranian student dares to criticise Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to his face | World news | The Guardian

He is Vahidnia, 25, a math student who won the annual math Olympiad. He spoke against the post-election crackdown and denounced the media for bias and the lack of criticism for the most powerful cleric. He told him this directly as the Supreme Leader asked at the end of a Q/A if anyone else wished to speak. The media was present and Khamenei responded calmly and was quickly interpreted by the regime as an example of tolerance. Vahidnia asked: "Wouldn't our system have a better chance of preserving itself if we were using more satisfactory methods and limited the use of violence only to essential circumstances?" Some websites said afterward that Vahidnia was a plant, others said he had been arrested.