LONDON: Iran’s former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned the Iranian regime that “oppressing people and clamping down on protesters and critics will result in chaos.” In two statement on his followers’ web page, Ahmadinejad demanded the release of his former aide, who was jailed for corruption and embezzlement worth more than $5 million. Baqai is alleged to have diverted funds dedicated to spreading the Al-Quds Brigade’s influence in African countries. Ahmadinejad insists Baqai is innocent and has called for the trial of Al-Quds Brigade chief Qassem Suleimani for misuse of the funds. The former president also criticized Iran’s justice system, saying: “Iranians are being arrested for simply demonstrating or criticizing officials and the way the country is run.” More restrictions and a heavy-handed clampdown to silence critics will bring chaos,” he said. The former president and his supporters had organized a week-long sit-in to protest the continued imprisonment of Baqaii and Isfandiar Rahimi. Ahmadinejad’s followers chanted slogans calling for the dismissal of the judicial head Sadeq Larijani and his brother Ali Larijani, speaker of house of parliament, for abuse of power and using their positions to promote corruption and violence. In recent months, Ahmadinejad has turned against Ali Khamenei, accusing the supreme leader of stealing more than $190 billion of the “Iranian people’s fortune.”