Ali Sistani

Ali Sistani is an Iranian Marji' who resides in Iraq. He was opposed to the 1979 Iranian Revolution which overthrew the US-backed Shah. He moved to Iraq under the rule of Saddam Hussein and has never returned to Iran.

Child Sexual Exploitation

In his book The Path of the Righteous, Sistani claimed that it is religiously permissible to practice non-penetrative sex with a child under the age of 9, including sexual touching, as long as the child was promised in marriage or mut'ah. A statement issued by Sistani's office in 2019 told BBC reporters that his stance on the issue has changed and the fatwa has been erased from his current books. Despite this, undercover video captured on a hidden camera revealed clerics still practicing and asserting the religious permissibility of the practice while soliciting young girls to the undercover reporter. The cleric was recorded saying "according to Sharia there’s no problem." The reporter then asks if it's fine with a young girl, to which the cleric responds "Yes, nine-year-old plus. There is no problem at all." One solicitor was captured on video telling the undercover reporter what he can do with his temporary child bride, saying "just be careful she doesn’t lose her virginity", and "you can have foreplay with her, lie with her, touch her body, her breasts." He was further recorded saying "it's between you and her where she can take the pain or not".

It was reported that Sistani's followers use the clerics 'marriage services' in order to pay for sex with underaged girls, saying "the cleric has a photo album, sometimes several girls are sitting in his office. If you like one of them, you can take her. If you don't, your second choice is the photo album" and "there are clerics who look for young virgin girls because many customers want them, they are more desired, and people pay more for them. This is happening to many girls - not just a few."

One of his followers was interviewed, saying that he personally prefers girls who are around 16 and older because "they are more experienced and more affordable than the younger girls", adding that the 12-year-olds are 'fresh' and thus more expensive, earning the clerics as much as $800 per contract. A woman was interviewed as saying 20 years old is the cut-off age for girls working for the cleric, adding "there are clerics who look for young virgin girls because many customers want them, they are more desired, and people pay more for them. This is happening to many girls - not just a few."

Sistani then issued a further public statement, saying "temporary marriage is not allowed as a tool to sell sex in a way that belittles the dignity and humanity of woman". His office issued a statement to the BBC, saying "times had [sic] changed and it had been erased from his current books". Cleric Ghaith Tamimi rebuked the practice, saying that "the clerics are peddling a perverted version of the Muslim law" and "what this man is saying is a crime that must be punished by law. These rules are ugly and cruel and could not come from God or anyone humane".

Corruption Exposé

On 31 August 2019, Alhurra reported an exposé documentary on their Alhurra Investigates program titled "The Holy Persons of Sacred Corruption in Iraq", that Iraqi religious authorities including Ayatollah Sistani were involved in corruption involving public funds in partnership with Iraqi political figures. Sistani was reported to be personally gaining financially from religious sites and real estate deals involving state funds.

Following the airing of the exposé, Iraq's Communication and Media Commission suspended Alhurra's operations for three months, and threatened the news outlet with "a tougher punishment" if the "offense is repeated".

Reporters Without Borders has criticized the Iraqi government, stating "Iraq still has no law on access to state-held information. Investigative reporting on corruption or embezzlement exposes journalists to serious threats."

Alhurra defended their work in a statement, saying that the report was "fair, balanced and professional", and stated that the individuals named in the report were given a chance to respond, which they declined. The statement further read "Alhurra is committed to fair and professional journalism in Arabic throughout the region. Given the major political, economic and social challenges the region faces, there is a need for greater transparency and honesty, not less".