prevent. He was tried by the Special Clerical Court in Iran and made an "outspoken and aggressive defense during his trial", refusing to accept the authority of this court, which he saw as unconstitutional. On 27 November 1999, he was convicted of insulting Ayatollah Khomeini, publishing anti-religious materials, disturbing public opinion, insulting officials, advocating links with the United States and was sentenced to five years in jail. Readers of the Iranian voted him the most significant Iranian personality of 1999. Release Nouri was released from prison on 5 November 2002. He was released because his brother Alireza Noori, a member of parliament at the time, was killed in an accident. Noori was freed from Evin Prison when Mehdi Karroubi, speaker of the Majlis at the time, wrote a letter to the Supreme Leader and asked him to free Noori as his father was suffering from the loss of his other son. Abdollah Nouri was mentioned as a possible candidate in the 2009 presidential election, but did not run. Analysis He is considered as one of the leading pragmatists among reformers, though his policies were aligned with Khomeini’s doctrines. References External links Nouri banned from Iranian election 1950 births Living people Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Iran Government ministers of Iran Iranian reformists Members of the Expediency Discernment Council Iranian Shia clerics Association of Combatant Clerics politicians Tehran Councillors 1999–2003 Chairmen of City Council of Tehran Iranian newspaper publishers (people) Heads of reformist fractions in Islamic Consultative Assembly Iranian prisoners and detainees Executives of Construction Party politicians Members of the 2nd Islamic Consultative Assembly Members of the 5th Islamic Consultative Assembly Impeached Iranian officials removed from office Iranian politicians convicted of crimes Vice presidents of Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps clerics