Iranian police swoop after election protests
Iranian police arrest scores of reformist figures after protests greeted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidential re-election (This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License)
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Sunday, 14, Jun 2009 09:12
More than 100 senior figures in Iran's reformist movement have been detained after protests and clashes broke out over Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election as president.
The politicians, including the brother of former president Mohammad Khatami have been accused of organising protests on behalf of defeated reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi.
Official results revealed on Saturday gave Mr Ahmadinejad 62.63 per cent and former prime minister Mr Mousavi 33.75 per cent.
Mr Mousavi, who criticised the president's economic record and rhetoric that has isolated Iran internationally, has branded the results a "dangerous charade" amid widespread reports of voting irregularities that cannot be independently confirmed as election monitors are banned in Iran.
He has called on his supporters to protest in non-violent means but the streets of Tehran were quiet on Sunday morning.
In his first official response to his re-election, Mr Ahmadinejad, who campaigned on an anti-corruption platform emphasising Iran's technological achievements during his administration, said his re-election had been a "great ordeal" but did not mention violent demonstrations or clashes between protestors or police.
"A new era has started in the history of Iran and a constructive future full of honour is in front," he said in a televised address yesterday ahead of a follow-up speech at a victory rally today.
The president's re-election has already been backed by the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani, suggesting Iran's political establishment is closing ranks around Mr Ahmadinejad.
In a letter issued shortly before polls closed, Mr Mousavi had written: "The results announced for the tenth presidential elections are astonishing. People who stood in long lines and knew well who they voted for were utterly surprised by the magicians working at the television and radio broadcasting."
The White House said it was continuing to monitor the situation closely, including reports of irregularities in the democratic process.