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Hundreds of prominent activists and politicians have been arrested in Iran for taking part in anti-government protests, it was claimed today.
Hadi Ghaemi, of the New York-based International Campaign for Human Rights, said he had spoken to families and colleagues of people who have been arrested or who have disappeared and was told that there were at least 200 across Iran.
The claim could not be confirmed because of government restrictions on reporting inside the country.
The Iranian government said it had arrested a relatively small number of people for violence and other crimes.
Mr Ghaemi said one of those arrested was Ebrahim Yazdi, foreign minister after Ayatollah Khomeini's 1979 revolution, who is now leader of the banned but tolerated Freedom Movement of Iran.
He added that Mr Yazdi was arrested in the intensive care unit of a Tehran hospital.
Mr Ghaemi said that Mohammad-Reza Jalaipour, a noted Iranian analyst, was also detained.
The BBC's Farsi-language news site said Mr Jalaipour is a student at Oxford and was arrested at the airport trying to leave Iran with his wife, Fatemeh Shams.
A plainclothes officer did not give a reason for the arrest, she told the BBC.
Hamid-Reza Jalaipour is the detained man's father and a supporter of opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi.
He said he had asked everyone he could what had happened to his son. "Is it a crime to support Mousavi? That's my only question now," Mr Jalaipour said. "They have fallen to attacking people's wives and children."
The protesters were planning further mass rallies in Tehran today in open defiance of the country's Supreme Leader.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has urged the nation to unite behind the Islamic state and told representatives of all four candidates in last week's elections to defuse tensions and disown rioting.
The Mousavi camp claims President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rigged Friday's election.
A day of mourning was called in memory of those killed in demonstrations on the capital's bloodied streets and, again, the fifth day, hundreds of thousands were expected to attend.
Mr Mousavi called on supporters to stage peaceful protests or gather in mosques to remember up to 20 people killed in the pro-democracy rallies. Yesterday 500,000 people marched through the centre of the city.
There are reports that soldiers have been given orders to fire on protesters as the regime tries to control the biggest uprising since the Islamic revolution 30 years ago, which swept the ayatollahs to power.
Mr Mousavi, who is calling for a rerun of the election, urged his followers - who have been wearing green to show their allegiance - to wear black in today's protests in mourning for those shot by members of the pro-government Basij volunteer militia.
Mr Mousavi's website said that he and former reformist president Mohammad Khatami sent a joint letter to Iran's head of judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, asking him to take measures to stop violence against protesters by police and for help in releasing detained demonstrators.
The Iranian government accused America of meddling in the election. State-run TV blamed Washington for "intolerable" interference in the bloody showdown.
It said the government summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents US interests in Iran, to complain about American interference. The two countries severed diplomatic relations after the 1979 revolution.
Reader views (10)
Mickyinlondon,london has said it for me, he is so right, I only pray that the Iranian Government realise that their fellow Iranians are more intelligent than they think, and hold another Election.
- David Crocket, Bradford UK
How humbling to see a country where people are willing to take risks to preserve their rights.
- Mdj E10, london uk
Pulsarama, unfortunately it's not me that has to eat crow but the 35 million Iranians that have been cheated and who have asked for the support of this President, who has chosen to sit on his hands, as usual. It was Bush that pushed for the sanctions against Iran, and that is why Iran is in such a financial mess today, and why its people are becoming so sick and tired of the miserable lives they lead they have risen up against their leaders in such numbers. So forgive me if I am one of the increasing numbers of people who are not enraptured by this Legend In His Own Mind.
- Stephen Rothbart, Prague Czech Republic
You can't blame America or the West for what goes on in Iran; that is down to the Iranian Government and its religious leaders; and nobody else.
That government alone places all it’s people in the firing line with its nuclear intentions; if a nuclear war results from their political policies; Iran will be wiped off the face of the earth; the West has forgotten more about nuclear weapons than Iran has yet learnt.
Iran is a rich Nation; its people from one of the oldest civilisations on earth; its time they had freedom of expression and equal human rights with the rest of the World.
The Iranian Government should take good care of its people and trust them; not repress them or kill them.
They say power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely; we have even seen this to be true in the UK.
I hope the leaders in Iran see the folly of their power obsessed ways; and back off oppressing the people; if not they will lose in the end.
You can blame America and the West for everything if you are that way inclined; but the truth is nearer home; and that is the real fact.
- Mickyinlondon, london
Stephen - your comment holds NO water. Barack Obama has taken a proactive approach to the entire Muslim world. We've watched the changes that can happen when strength is demonstrated by means other than a school-boy's concept of stength.... So sit back and let the adults take care of things... you failed... eat your crow like a good boy.
- Pulsamsara, US
The countries who claim that they support human rights Must support Iran today,tomorrow is TOO late. we want the whole world to know that what happened on Friday was a fake election and it was more like a selection. Ahmadynejad should NOT be recognised as Iran's President in the world. Ahmadynejad claims that he has more than 60% of the votes, if thats true why not have another election?what is he afraid of? he is inviting everyone to calm down but at the same time he is killing students and innocent people..he is WORST than an animal. where are these 63% voters for Ahmadynejad????why is he blaming his stupidity and failure on the west and specially on America? He has killed more than 20 people in the protests NOT AMERICANS, lets open our eyes and see really what is going on..
- Sarah, London
The world would certainly be a better place if America did stop meddling.
- Gary, brentwood
So Obama decides to vote 'Present' again, like he did as a Senator, and still he gets blamed by the Iranians! Poor guy. Even when he shows his inability to take a principled position on anything important, along comes someone to accuse him of doing just that. Perhaps now he is being blamed anyway, he should actually show some backbone and stand up for some of that Hope he was banging on about.
- Stephen Rothbart, Prague Czech Republic
Ahmadinejad and others do not need to tell America to stop meddling in Iran to destableise it - they are doing it quite nicely on their own, without the need for help from anyone else.
As a Government that has sought to destabilise the region and export their revolution, they will eventually reap what they sow, and that a regime can keep some of the people down for all of the time, all of the people down for some to the time - but you cannot keep all the people down for all or the time. Time for a change.
- Jeremy E, Home Counties
The Iranian powers-that-be need to explain what they mean by "meddling"? One minute they want the world to be present for their elections and then introduce journalistic restrictions. What ditherers.
Only "meddling" seems to be the external provision for communications. Just hope the truth will out.
- Tony Islander, Herts
