RUMOURS THAT AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI HAS DIED ARE DENIED

On 15 October 2009 Iranian officials are denying rumours that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died or has fallen into a coma. It is not known how the rumours began, but authorities are dismissing as baseless claims that the ayatollah collapsed on 12 October and was rushed to the hospital. Similar false rumours alleging the ayatollah’s death have circulated in the past, but the leader has not yet made any type of public appearance so as to disprove the most recent ones.