Because of his position as a mujtahid , the government could not publicly execute him .
All this forced the aging Ayatollah to go on national television and read out a confession and ask forgiveness from the man he had saved from death two decades ago .
Because of Ayatollah 's position as a mujtahid , the government could not publicly execute him .
All this forced the aging Ayatollah to go on national television and read out a confession and ask forgiveness from the man he had saved from death two decades ago .