Hassan Khomeini Guardian Council Rejection

In the lead-up to the February 2016 Assembly of Experts election, the Guardian Council disqualified Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, from running. Hassan Khomeini registered his candidacy on 18 December 2015 but reportedly never received an invitation to the mandatory written exam on Islamic jurisprudence. After his initial rejection, his appeal was denied on 10 February 2016, with the Guardian Council stating he did not possess 'enough Islamic knowledge to distinguish the next supreme leader.' The disqualification of the revolution's founder's grandson was widely seen as a signal of hardliner dominance over the vetting process.