In life he was one of the more outspoken critics in Iran and in death Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri has brought the people on to the streets once more.
At his burial in the city of Qom, protesters clashed with the police after tens of thousands of people followed his funeral procession.
The Grand Ayatollah, who died aged 87, said that the re-election of President Ahmadinejad was a fraud, and so had a large support base from the supporters of defeated candidates including Mir Hussain Mousavi. Mr Mousavi was part of the procession.
What do the Government of Iran do now, though? Anti Government protesters have already been on the streets marking the death of a man so vehemently opposed to their regime, but can the Government really stop people marking the death of a grand ayatollah, a man who commands a higher respect than them?
The anti- government feeling has slowly abated but is far from dying out. A use of force with protesters marking the death of a grand ayatollah may just fan the flames of rebellion once again.
