Ayatollah Malakouti has issued a fatwa (a religious edict) saying that it is a necessity to kill those who insult the Prophet Mohammad, his family, and Shi'ite's Imams with jokes, cartoons, and lies, the Blog EA worldview quoted RASA news agency as saying.

Ayatollah Malakouti did not refer to any particular offenders but reasserted the importance to respect Imam Naqi, the tenth Imam in Shi’ite Islam.

Last week, Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani, a Shi'ite cleric from the Iranian city of Qom issued a Fatwa (religious edict) calling for the execution of a Germany-based Iranian rapper, Shahin Najafi, after he released a Persian song called “Naqi” deemed offensive to Imam Naqi, mentioned by Ayatollah Malakouti.

Apostasy is punishable by death in Iran.