TEHRAN Two ayatollahs said they did not write any letter to the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) on the house arrest of Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, claiming the whole letter is forged.

A letter addressed to the SNSC carrying the signatures of ten ayatollahs said that it is against the Sharia to place a grand ayatollah under house arrest.

Montazeri was once to succeed Imam Khomeini but was made to resign only a few months before Imam Khomeini's death because of his policies. Unfortunately he is still following the same polices that led to his dismissal by Imam Khomeini.

"The entire letter is fake," Ayatollah Mahfouzi told the TEHRAN TIMES in a telephone conversation. "I did not sign such a letter, and I know that other ayatollahs whose signatures appear at the end of letter did not sign it."

Also talking to the TEHRAN TIMES, Ayatollah Mo'men said that he had not signed the letter. "No, I did not sign such a letter."

The other ayatollahs whose names appear at the end of the fabricated letter are: Mousavi Ardebili; Seyed Jalal Taheri; Jannaati; Gerami; Khatam; Mohaqeq; and Mohammad Bojnourdi.

The reason for fabricating such a letter is that in his memoirs, which appeared on an Internet Website, Ayatollah Montazeri wrote issues against Imam Khomeini. It is said that his memoirs were written for him by some one else. His remarks have created strong reactions among circles committed to the ideas and ideals of Imam Khomeini. Hence, there are attempts to cover up the issue through this fake letter, one analyst said.