Seven killed in Iran protest, Moussavi calls for re-poll

July 30th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iranian police and security forces Thursday broke up a demonstration by mourners remembering those killed in recent post-election clashes, and prevented Mir Hussein Moussavi from attending, witnesses said. Police used batons to break up a crowd of several hundred who had gathered around the grave of Neda Agha-Soltan, who died during last month's protests against the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

July 28th, 2009 TEHRAN - The Iranian government Tuesday once again rejected a request by opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi to hold a memorial ceremony for the victims in recent protest demonstrations, Fars news agency reported. An interior ministry official said no permission has been issued for any gathering Thursday (July 30).

July 26th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iranian opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi applied at the interior ministry for permission to hold a mourning ceremony for the victims of the recent protest demonstrations, ILNA news agency reported Sunday. At least 20 demonstrators were killed during protest rallies in the last 40 days against alleged fraud in the June 12 presidential election that led to re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

July 2nd, 2009 MOSCOW - Russia is opposed to sanctions against Iran over the recent crackdown on protest rallies following the disputed presidential election, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Russia, which has consistently supported Iran in international disputes, was one of the first countries to congratulate President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his re-election.

June 28th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on all relevant parties Sunday to end disputes over the outcome of the June 12 presidential election. "I call on both sides not to provoke emotions of the youth, stop putting people against each other and refrain from scratching the nation's unity," Khamenei said in a meeting with judiciary officials.

June 25th, 2009 TEHRAN/BERLIN - Defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Moussavi claimed Thursday via his website that the Tehran authorities had arrested 70 academics he had met with, as the tense post-election standoff continued in the capital. Incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, meanwhile, hit out at criticisms of the police crackdown in Tehran by US President Barack Obama, accusing him of "meddling", according to the state-run Fars news agency.

June 24th, 2009 TEHRAN - The best way to settle the dilemma over the controversial results of Iran's presidential elections would be formation of an independent committee, a statement released on opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi's website suggested Wednesday. Moussavi, and millions of Iranians, accuse the government of fraud in the June 12 election that gave President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad an overwhelming victory.

June 21st, 2009 TEHRAN - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Sunday said that western countries should keep away from Iran's domestic issues, the country's ISNA news agency reported. "Definitely, you would not be placed inside Iranians' circle of friendship with such hasty comments.

June 20th, 2009 TEHRAN/BERLIN - Eyewitness reports said Saturday that Iranian police have fired gunshots in the air at a demonstration in Tehran to disperse protestors. Witnesses said supporters of defeated presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Moussavi clashed with supporters of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

June 20th, 2009 TEHRAN/BERLIN - Mir-Hossein Moussavi, the presidential candidate defeated in last week's contested poll, has written a letter to Iran's Guardian Council Saturday, saying that he believes the election was rigged in advance. In the seven-page letter, made public as clashes were going on between police and protestors in Tehran, Moussavi said "I will continue my efforts to clarify the truth on the basis of the constitution and current laws, although the violations and planning of this disgusting move had been planned in advance." The Guardian Council had offered to recount 10 percent of votes randomly to prove the veracity of the poll.

June 18th, 2009 TEHRAN - Protests in favour of opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi and against alleged electoral fraud were scheduled to continue Thursday in Tehran for the sixth consecutive day. The pro-Moussavi network coordinating the demonstrations said that protestors would first gather in front of the UN office and then move to a square in downtown Tehran.

June 17th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran's opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi indicated Wednesday that his supporters would continue their protests until new presidential elections were held. "We peacefully protest against election fraud and all we want is the annulment of the election and the holding of a new election without cheating," the opposition leader said while calling on his supporters to stay calm and peaceful.

June 16th, 2009 TEHRAN - Supporters of opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi planned to hold another protest Tuesday in Tehran, opposition circles said. The gathering was to be held at the Vali-Asr square in downtown Tehran, the same venue where President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad celebrated his re-election victory Sunday.

June 16th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran Tuesday banned the foreign press from covering protest rallies or gatherings held by supporters of opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi. The foreign press department of the culture ministry said in a circular to all foreign press offices to "seriously avoid" any events not directly authorised by that ministry.

June 14th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iranian opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi called on Iran's Guardian Council Sunday to nullify the results of the presidential election. Moussavi said in a statement on his website that he had forwarded an official request to the Guardian Council asking it to nullify the results.