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Mousavi calls for protesters to mourn the deaths of the election 'martyrs'
Terry Kirby17 Jun 2009
Defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi today increased the tension in Iran by calling for further demonstrations tomorrow to mourn those killed in this week's bloody street battles.
Although Mr Mousavi urged his supporters to stage only peaceful protests or gather in mosques, the move is likely to be seen as a direct challenge to the authorities and a potential flashpoint for more violence.
At least seven people died in clashes in Tehran on Monday, the worst unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, following the election which resulted in hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being declared winner.
Mr Mousavi's call came despite an appeal by the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to defuse the tension.
The Ayatollah has not appeared in public since the election but has met representatives of all four presidential candidates to call for an end to the rioting.
He told them: "In the elections, voters had different tendencies, but they equally believe in the ruling system and support the Islamic Republic.
"Nobody should take any action that would create tension, and all have to explicitly say they are against tension and riots."
But in a statement on his website today, Mr Mousavi - who has called the election an "astonishing charade" and demanded it be cancelled and held again - said: "A number of our countrymen were wounded or martyred.
"I ask the people to express their solidarity with the families...by coming together in mosques or taking part in peaceful demonstrations." He said he would also take part.
After Monday's deaths, he urged followers to call off a planned rally in the same downtown area yesterday so the marchers headed north instead. Some sent messages to meet again today for a rally at Tehran's central Haft-e Tir Square.
But in a stark warning, a local news agency quoted Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli as saying "no permission has been issued for a gathering or rally" today in the square.
At the same time, the Revolutionary Guards - Iran's most powerful military force, which answers to the Supreme Leader - has warned online media of a crackdown on their coverage of the country's election crisis.
It said Iranian websites and bloggers must remove any materials that "create tension" or face legal action.
Iranian reformist websites and blogs and Western sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been vital conduits for Iranians to inform the world about the election protests.
The government yesterday barred foreign media from leaving their offices to report on the street protests.
In effect, they could only conduct telephone interviews and monitor official sources such as state TV.
Some foreign journalists were forced to leave Iran because the government would not extend the visas they received to cover the election.
