Mousavi supporters stage another march in Iran
- 00:01:12
- ITN
Mousavi supporters stage another march in Iran
The three defeated candidates in Iran's disputed presidential election have been called to a meeting to discuss the crisis. According to state radio, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mohsen Rezai and Mehdi Karroub have been asked by the 12-member Guardian Council to attend talks on Saturday as widespread demonstrations against last Friday's result continue. A spokesman also said the council has begun the "careful examination" of a total of 646 complaints submitted in connection with the June 12 vote, which official results showed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won. Meanwhile, Mr Mousavi has called for Iranians to observe a national day of mourning for those killed in post-election clashes. More mass protests are expected after he asked his supporters to stage peaceful demonstrations or gather in mosques. At least eight people have been killed in opposition protests in Tehran against what Mr Mousavi says was a rigged election last week in favour of hardline incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "In the course of the past days and as a consequence of illegal and violent encounters with (people protesting) against the outcome of the presidential election, a number of our countrymen were wounded or martyred," he said. "I ask the people to express their solidarity with the families ... by coming together in mosques or taking part in peaceful demonstrations." Mr Ahmadinejad's win has led to daily clashes between Mr Mousavi's backers, anti-riot police and Islamic militiamen. Authorities have dismissed opposition allegations of vote-rigging. Despite calls by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for national unity, Mr Mousavi's supporters have continued to pour on to the streets amid a media crackdown which has attention on the world's fifth-biggest oil exporter which is already locked in a dispute with the West over its nuclear programme. On Wednesday, between 70,000 and 500,000 people demonstrated in central Tehran for a fifth day against Mr Ahmadinejad's official victory, which has caused the worst unrest since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Reformist clerics have requested permission from the governor of Tehran to hold a rally in the city on Saturday, to be attended by Mr Mousavi and reformist former President Mohammad Khatami. Mr Mousavi has sent a letter to Iran's state national security council complaining of plainclothes agents using sticks, metal rods and sometimes firearms to "attack the lines of peaceful participants before the arrival of the security forces". He condemned arrests of his allies in the past few days. Dozens of pro-reformers have been detained since Friday's election, including senior figures. Provincial officials said 88 people had been arrested during post-election unrest in the conservative northeastern city of Mashhad and up to 60 people in Tabriz in the northwest. Pro-Mousavi protests were also reported in the cities of Isfahan, Rasht, Orumiyeh, Zanjan and Zahedan. Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents US interests in the country, to protest at "interventionist" US statements on the country's election. In Washington, the State Department strongly rejected the criticism and the White House said President Barack Obama would continue to defend the right of Iranians to protest peacefully against the outcome of the election.
ITN | June 18, 2009
