Election officials count ballot papers after the closure of polling stations during elections for the parliament and Assembly of Experts, which has the power to appoint and dismiss the supreme leader, in Tehran, Iran February 26, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran’s hardline judiciary chief on Sunday accused reformists of working with Westerners to block hardliners from winning seats in Friday’s elections for the Assembly of Experts, an influential leadership body.

In a statement, Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani said reformists had coordinated with “American and English media outlets” to prevent what he called some servants of the people from entering the assembly, which has the task of selecting the country’s most powerful figure, the supreme leader.

“Is this type of coordination with foreigners in order to push out these figures from the Assembly of Experts in the interests of the regime?” the statement, carried on several news agencies, said.