Massive Opposition Rally in Tehran Mourns Slain Demonstrators

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18 June 2009 :: staff

Tens of thousands of Iranians have gathered at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Square to mourn demonstrators killed by security forces in opposition rallies earlier this week. The day of mourning was called for by opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who says the election was stolen by pro-Ahmedinejad forces. As the demonstrations have persisted, over the last week, a range of prominent political and religious figures have joined Mousavi’s calls for a probe into the alleged fraud and establishment of transparency in the democratic process.

While international press are barred from covering rallies, and many have been expelled, with reports security forces have interfered with or detained Iranian journalists, reports are emerging from Tehran saying tens of thousands of people, wearing black in memory of those killed by security forces, are gathering in Imam Khomeini Square, the same site where the mass demonstrations against the Shah began 30 years ago. Opposition figures are increasingly suggesting the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamene’i violated his constitutional “community” obligation to keep faith with all of the people of Iran and engaged in prohibited “autocracy”.

There is word the Majma’-e Rowhaniyun-e Mobarez (Association of Combatant Clerics), a group of pro-reform clerics with its roots in post-revolutionary populist republicanism, has aligned itself with the opposition and called for a mass demonstration for Saturday, effectively extending the protests into the weekend and taking a clear stance against the supreme leader, who has banned all public rallies. The rally will move from Enqelab (Revolution) Square to Azadi (Liberty) Square and will protest the official results of last Friday’s election, which give the presidency to incumbent Mahmoud Ahmedinejad by a 2 to 1 margin.

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Former president Mohammad Khatami and members of the Association of Combatant Clerics will participate, according to reports on the announced rally. Yesterday, it was reported that Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani and Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri had joined in opposition criticism of the official results. After 6 days of sustained and mounting opposition pressure, the Guardian Council has announced it has invited the three opposition candidates who are challenging the official results and alleging fraud to talks to air their grievances.

The AFP reports that the Guardian Council acknowledges receiving 646 distinct allegations of electoral fraud and “irregularities” from the three candidates alone. Whether there are other allegations from around the country has not been reported or verified. Some reports have suggested that millions of voters were denied the vote due to lack of ballot papers. There are also allegations of falsified ballots and ballots summarily discarded or destroyed.

Mehdi Karroubi (one of the other opposition candidates) has also applied to hold a rally on Saturday, setting the stage for what could be a day of multiple massive rallies across the capital. The various groups organizing protests could eventually merge their demonstrations into one massive opposition rally, a prospect which suggests the government will seek to deny permits. Today’s Mousavi rally for mourning is reported to include doctors in white coats who are available to treat anyone wounded, should security forces again fire on demonstrators.

UPDATE, 23:18 GMT: An estimated 100,000 people took part in a rally in Tehran to honor those killed earlier this week by security forces. Amateur video footage has leaked out of Iran, despite strict controls on journalists, internet use and media outlets. This video shows new footage of demonstrators, marching peacefully, to avoid provoking a violent reaction from security forces:

UPDATE, 23:44 GMT: Ebrahim Yazdi, foreign minister to revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and now head of the Iranian Freedom Movement, a leading dissident organization, was reportedly detained by armed men who did not identify themselves, and who transferred him from a hospital ICU to an undisclosed location, according to interviews with Mehdi Noorbaksh, his son-in-law.

News reports suggest Yazdi was in fact held in the Evin prison in Tehran, despite being incapacitated in intensive care, undergoing cancer treatment. The arrest appears to have been an attempt to prevent him participating in the opposition rallies. He was reportedly returned to hospital after suffering complications due to his ongoing struggle with prostate cancer.

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