Iranian authorities have taken additional measures against former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday by arresting his close ally, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei.
The semi-official ILNA news agency reported that the office of Tehran prosecutor's said police detained Mashaei for "investigations." It did not elaborate.
Hours after the arrest, Ahmadinejad issued a statement demanding Mashaei’s immediate release and holding judicial authorities responsible for his safety.
He said that he was arrested without any charges or explanation.
The development comes shortly after authorities sentenced Hamid Baghaei, another Ahmadinejad ally, to 15 years in jail. Baghaei was detained on charges of the misuse of public funds when he was a vice-president under Ahmadinejad. He began serving his term earlier this week.
On Thursday, Mashaei, in front of the British embassy in Tehran, burnt a copy of a court verdict of Baghaei’s sentencing.
In November, he was summoned by authorities for defaming Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior officials, promoting anti-regime propaganda, misleading the public and misusing government funds.
Several of Ahmdainejad's allies are in jail over the misappropriation of public funds.
During Baghaei's trial, Ahmadinejad repeatedly appeared outside the court criticizing many officials, including the head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani.
Ahmadinejad had in February sent an open letter to Khamenei, demanding him to implement “central reforms” to preserve the public’s trust in the regime.
His demands included holding early presidential and parliamentary elections, reviewing the Iranian constitution and dismissing the head of the judiciary.
