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Iran in turmoil after disputed presidential election

Democracy Now

Iranian supporters of defeated reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi demonstrate on 17 June 2009 in Tehran, Iran. Thousands of people have continued to protest in the streets of Tehran to demonstrate their opposition to the result of last Friday’s presidential election, which they believe was unfairly won by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.File photo/Getty Images/Iran

Iran remains in a state of turmoil after Friday’s much-anticipated elections ended in a result strongly disputed by opposition candidates and many thousands of their supporters.

Today, Iranian officials refused to allow the leading opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi and his supporters to hold a major rally protesting the re-election of President Ahmadinejad.

Demonstrators began calling for the election to be cancelled after the Interior Ministry announced that President Ahmadinejad had won over 62 percent of the vote. The official results gave Mousavi less than 34 percent of the vote.

Heavily armed riot police have been cracking down on street protests that continued through the weekend. Early Monday morning, security forces raided a dormitory at Tehran University, injuring fifteen. Opposition websites report that over a hundred prominent opposition members were detained and then released over the weekend.

More mass protests are expected in the Iranian capital after presidential challenger Mousavi urged followers to observe a day of mourning. Mousavi called on supporters to stage peaceful protests or gather at mosques in memory of eight people killed after a Tehran rally on Monday.

Authorities have promised a recount of the disputed votes — but the opposition is demanding the election be held again.

Heavy restrictions have been placed on the BBC and other foreign news organisations.

Estimates put the number of protesters at between 70,000 and 500,000.

Some information of this story has been taken from BBC News.

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Published in Democracy Now