While uncertainty continues to cloud the Islamic Republic supreme leader’s planned visit to the holy city of Qom, with no specific date set as of yet, the filtering of websites of three grand ayatollahs critical of the government has revealed the extent of divisions between the senior clergy in Qom and the administration, which draws on the leader’s support.

Late last week, ayatollah Mohammad Ali Dastgheib once again questioned the Assembly of Experts’ effectiveness in supervising ayatollah Khamenei’s performance, declaring that the current Assembly has deviated from its purpose. As a response, his website was filtered by the government in its latest measure to put pressure on the dissident cleric. Previously, organized plainclothes agents and security forces had repeatedly attacked the cleric’s office and residence, as well as the Qabaa mosque, which is run under his supervision. The attacks were organized in response to the grand ayatollah’s declaration of support for the country’s Green movement and protests against last year’s election’s bloody aftermath.

The office of grand ayatollah Sanei also released a statement yesterday objecting to the new round of filtering imposed against the popular grand ayatollah’s website. The statement reiterated the ayatollah’s resolve to continue his activities despite the restrictions and argued that the banning of written and online content pointed to the suppression of free speech in the country.

Ayatollah Sanei was the first grand ayatollah who openly voiced support for Mir-Hossein Mousavi and the Green movement. He has been the subject of vehement attacks over the past year as a result of his stance.

Yesterday, the office of grand ayatollah Zanjani, another senior cleric close to the reformists, also objected against the filtering of the ayatollah’s website.

According to Kalame website, the statement by ayatollah Zanjani’s office notes, “We witness in utter disbelief that, since yesterday, the Internet portal of the grand ayatollah Bayat Zanjani has been blocked, and Iranian Internet users have lost access to the website. More interesting is the fact that the decision to block the Internet portal of a grand Shiite ayatollah was made on the eve of the martyrdom of the iconic Shiite figure, the holy Imam Jafar Sadegh (peace be upon home), and by a government that boasts compassion toward God’s creations and is recently taking pride in Cyrus’s declaration of tolerance and rights.”

The statement released by ayatollah Zanjani’s office notes, “The current era is the era of communication, and certainly no one can prevent people’s awareness and general access to the true message of the holy Prophet’s descendants. Undoubtedly, such acts will be counterproductive for those responsible.”

The imposition of pressure and restrictions against clerics opposed to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration over the past year and a half have led to various responses. Some regard the government’s measures against the clerics, especially grand ayatollahs Sanei and Dastgheib as an effort to eliminate prominent clerics in senior government ranks. Others believe that some prominent clerics are attempting to separate their paths from that of the government by objecting to the post-election events in Iran.