Iranian authorities begin judicial probe of opposition leader Mahdi Karroubi

September 12th, 2009 TEHRAN - A special judicial committee has rejected allegations by the opposition of rape in Iranian jails, Fars news agency reported Saturday. The committee said in a report that Mehdi Karroubi, the leader of the opposition party Etemad Melli, could not present any proof of his allegations of rape being committed against jailed opposition supporters.

September 12th, 2009 Iran judiciary rejects opposition rape allegationsTEHRAN, Iran — A high-level Iranian judicial panel rejected claims made by a pro-reform presidential candidate that detained protesters were raped and demanded those making the allegations be prosecuted, the state news agency said Saturday. The ruling ratchets up the pressure on Mahdi Karroubi, one of the most prominent reformist leaders challenging the legitimacy of the president's re-election and the entire governing system.

September 8th, 2009 Iran raids raise pressure on opposition leaderTEHRAN, Iran — Iranian security agents on Tuesday raided offices connected to senior reformist leader Mahdi Karroubi, arresting four aides and closing the headquarters of his political party, which had been probing abuse of protesters arrested in the country's postelection crackdown. The raids appeared aimed at crushing a campaign spearheaded by Karroubi to bring to light alleged torture and rapes of detainees — allegations that have deeply embarrassed Iran's government and clerical leadership.

September 8th, 2009 Iran detains reformist, closes opposition officeTEHRAN, Iran (AP ) — Iranian security agents have arrested a prominent reformist and closed the offices of an opposition party probing abuse of those arrested in the country's postelection crackdown. Esmaeil Gerami Moghaddam, a spokesman for the National Confidence Party, says security agents sealed the party offices in Tehran on Tuesday.

September 8th, 2009 Iran raids raise pressure on opposition leadersTEHRAN, Iran — Iranian security forces Tuesday cracked down on the opposition's campaign to highlight torture and abuse of prisoners in the country's postelection crisis, shutting down offices of pro-reform leaders and arresting five of their aides in a startling series of raids. The raids hiked up the pressure against the top opposition leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi, who hard-line clerics and commanders of the powerful Revolutionary Guards have said should also be arrested.

August 19th, 2009 Iran's supreme leader reinforces Syria allianceTEHRAN, Iran — Iran's supreme leader called his country's alliance with Syria a symbol of resistance in the Middle East on Wednesday, seeking to reinforce a key relationship as Tehran fends off continued criticism over its response to post-election unrest. Visiting Syrian President Bashar Assad exemplified that resistance by criticizing foreign countries for provoking the massive protests that followed Iran's disputed June presidential election.

August 19th, 2009 Assad in Iran, possible help French woman on trialTEHRAN, Iran — Syrian President Bashar Assad opened talks with Iranian officials Wednesday in a visit expected to include an appeal to free a French academic accused of plotting to overthrow the Islamic regime. Assad is a close Iranian ally and also is using the trip to personally congratulate Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on his re-election, which touched off massive unrest after opponents claimed the results were rigged.

August 14th, 2009 Iran reformist leader presses torture allegationsTEHRAN, Iran — A hard-line cleric said Friday that an Iranian opposition leader should be prosecuted for claiming that detained protesters were raped by their jailers in the country's postelection crackdown. Despite the uproar, the opposition leader, Mahdi Karroubi, pushed ahead with criticism, saying some detainees were tortured to death in the crackdown and said he had reports of Abu Ghraib-like abuses.

August 14th, 2009 Iran reformist leader says he has torture accountsTEHRAN, Iran — An Iranian opposition leader says he received reports of protesters detained after the country's disputed presidential election being tortured to death in jail. Mahdi Karroubi says he got testimonies from prisoners who say they were abused while in detention and from those who say they saw others being brutally tortured, some to death.

August 11th, 2009 Iran opposition puts election unrest toll at 69TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's opposition said Tuesday at least 69 people have died in two months of postelection unrest based on accounts from the victims' families, more than double the official toll released by parliament. A top aide to Mir Hossein Mousavi, the opposition leader who claims he was the true winner of the June 12 presidential vote, handed the list over to parliament.

August 11th, 2009 Iran opposition says 69 dead in unrestTEHRAN, Iran — At least 69 people have died in Iran's post-election unrest based on accounts from the victims' families and the number is still growing, said an aide to Iran's opposition leader on Tuesday. The government says only 30 people died in demonstrations following accusations that the June 12 presidential elections had been rigged, but human rights groups say the number could be much higher.

August 10th, 2009 Iran's opposition wants investigation into rapeTEHRAN, Iran —One of the defeated reformist candidates in Iran's disputed presidential election is calling for an investigation into whether protesters detained after the vote were raped in custody. Mahdi Karroubi says he has received reports from former military commanders and other senior officials that male and female detainees have been repeatedly raped by their jailers.

July 30th, 2009 Opposition to hold memorial for post-vote victimsTEHRAN, Iran — The Iranian opposition is to hold a "silent memorial" for victims of post-election violence in defiance of a government ban on the gathering. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi's Web site says he plans to attend the ceremony on Thursday, along with another pro-reformist candidate, Mahdi Karrubi, who was also defeated in the June 12 presidential election.

June 26th, 2009 Opposition leader's aide banned from leaving IranEDITOR'S NOTE: Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media.

May 28th, 2009 TEHRAN - The Iranian parliament is abuzz with activity as the Islamic nation prepares for the presidential polls June 12, in a vote that pits incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against two moderate challengers. In a statement Wednesday, 211 lawmakers announced their unanimous support for Ahmadinejad in the presidential race.