Editing Assembly of Experts (section)

==Authority==
The Assembly has never dismissed or even questioned the Supreme Leader.<ref>{{cite web |title=Everything you need to know about Iran's Assembly of Experts election |url=http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2016/02/09-iran-election-assembly-of-experts-explainer-borden |author=Emma Borden |date=9 February 2016 |work=The Brookings Institution |access-date=31 March 2016 |archive-date=22 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422010438/http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2016/02/09-iran-election-assembly-of-experts-explainer-borden |url-status=live }}</ref> Due to [[Ali Khamenei]]'s lengthy, unchallenged reign, many believe that the Assembly of Experts has become [[Rubber stamp (politics)|a ceremonial body without any real power]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Myths and Realities of Iran's Parliamentary Elections |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/02/iran-parliamentary-elections-assembly-of-experts/470580/ |date=2016-02-23 |publisher=[[The Atlantic]] |access-date=2017-02-26 |archive-date=16 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216170320/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/02/iran-parliamentary-elections-assembly-of-experts/470580/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Anomalies in Iran's Assembly of Experts Election – The Washington Institute for Near East Policy |url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/anomalies-and-results-from-irans-assembly-of-experts-election |date=2016-03-22 |website=Washingtoninstitute.org |access-date=2017-02-26 |archive-date=17 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817025352/http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/anomalies-and-results-from-irans-assembly-of-experts-election |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Islamic Republic Before and After the 2009 Elections |url=http://www.payvand.com/news/10/oct/1196.html |website=Payvand.com |access-date=2017-02-26 |archive-date=4 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204170728/http://www.payvand.com/news/10/oct/1196.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Archived copy |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/06/24/Why-Khamenei-wants-the-next-Supreme-Leader-to-be-revolutionary-.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204170310/http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/06/24/Why-Khamenei-wants-the-next-Supreme-Leader-to-be-revolutionary-.html |archive-date=4 February 2017 |access-date=2017-06-03}}</ref> Iran's then-Chief Justice [[Sadeq Larijani]], a Khamenei appointee, has stated that it is illegal for the Assembly of Experts to supervise Khamenei.<ref>{{cite web |title=Controversy in Iran Surrounding the Supervision of the Supreme Leader's Performance – ASHARQ AL-AWSAT |url=http://english.aawsat.com/2015/12/article55345842/55345842 |last=Al-awsat |first=Asharq |date=15 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625141325/http://english.aawsat.com/2015/12/article55345842/55345842 |archive-date=25 June 2016 |access-date=1 July 2016}}</ref>

There have been instances when the current Supreme Leader's public criticism of members of the Assembly of Experts was followed by their arrest and dismissal. For example, Khamenei publicly called member of the Assembly of Experts [[Ahmad Azari Qomi]] a traitor, resulting in Qomi's arrest and eventual dismissal from the Assembly of Experts. Another instance is when Khamenei indirectly called the late [[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]] a traitor for a statement he made, causing Rafsanjani to retract it.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rafsanjani missile tweet draws fire from Khamenei |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/03/khamenei-rafsanjani-treason-mohammadi-tweet-missiles.html |author=Arash Karami |date=2016-03-31 |website=Al-monitor.com |access-date=2017-02-26 |archive-date=5 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205095802/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/03/khamenei-rafsanjani-treason-mohammadi-tweet-missiles.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Mehdi Karroubi]], who has been under house arrest since 2011 without trial, by the direct order of Khamenei, said that "the Assembly of Experts, a council of elected clerics charged with electing, supervising and even disqualifying the Supreme Leader, has turned into a ceremonial council that only praises the Leader".<ref>{{cite news |last=Sharafedin |first=Bozorgmehr |date=30 January 2018 |title=Iranian opposition cleric accuses Khamenei of abuse of power |agency=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-politics-karroubi/iranian-opposition-cleric-accuses-khamenei-of-abuse-of-power-idUSKBN1FJ1R8 |access-date=6 April 2018 |archive-date=2 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202190037/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-politics-karroubi/iranian-opposition-cleric-accuses-khamenei-of-abuse-of-power-idUSKBN1FJ1R8 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Iranian cleric delivers rare public criticism of Ayatollah Khamenei – CBC News |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/iran-karroubi-khamenei-criticism-1.4510013 |website=cbc.ca |access-date=6 April 2018 |archive-date=25 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425231137/http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/iran-karroubi-khamenei-criticism-1.4510013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2018-01-30/iranian-opposition-cleric-accuses-khamenei-of-abuse-of-power Iranian Opposition Cleric Accuses Khamenei of Abuse of Power] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202072016/https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2018-01-30/iranian-opposition-cleric-accuses-khamenei-of-abuse-of-power |date=2 February 2018 }} usnews.com</ref>