Thousands Call For Death Of Iran Opposition Leaders

TEHRAN, Iran — Thousands of Iranian government supporters called for the execution of opposition leaders at a prayer service Friday in response to anti-government demonstrations earlier in the week. Authorities, meanwhile, appeared to tighten restrictions on one of the leaders under house arrest.

Hard-line cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said during the service in Tehran that the opposition leaders have lost their reputation among people and are practically "dead and executed," while worshippers chanted for their actual executions.

Jannati proposed more restrictions on Mir Hossein Mousavi on Mahdi Karroubi, who are both under house arrest but still managed to organize the largest opposition protest in more than a year on Monday.

"Their communications with people should be completely cut. They should not be able to receive and send messages. Their phone lines and Internet should be cut. They should be prisoners in their homes," he said.

Authorities appeared to be acting to further isolate Mousavi.

An opposition website reported Friday that a new deployment of government guards appeared outside Mousavi's house and have stopped his three daughters from visiting or contacting their parents since Wednesday. The website, kaleme.com, said the new guards were wearing masks and were closely monitoring people near the house.

The report said the guards belonged to the prosecutor's office.

Hard-line government supporters have held numerous demonstrations outside Mousavi's house in past months, and authorities have briefly detained visitors in the past.

The head of Iran's judiciary, Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, said Thursday that opposition leaders would be prevented from communicating with their supporters and a possible trial was still on the agenda.

The remarks by these prominent figures, suggest there is still no concrete plan for arresting the opposition leaders, possibly to avoid giving them more public attention.

Late on Thursday, Karroubi's website, Sahamnews.net, quoted him as saying he was ready to stand trial.

The opposition demonstrations on Monday were aimed at showing solidarity with Egypt's uprising but turned into a major opposition rally. Two people were killed in clashes with police.

Mousavi and Karroubi are leaders of a protest movement that grew out of the disputed presidential election in 2009 in which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected. Both men ran against Ahmadinejad, and Mousavi claims he was the rightful winner but that he was deprived of victory through fraud.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters poured into the streets after the election to protest the alleged fraud. The opposition says scores were killed in the massive security crackdown.

Dozens of opposition members and activists were sentenced to prison terms from six months to 15 years in the crackdown.

(This version CORRECTS that demonstrations were earlier this week).)

Comments

[Pod-gers]

01:29 PM on 02/19/2011

Folks, as long as we remember who the biggest opposition leader really is, Mousavi, the Iran Contra leader in Iran, and how he led the taking of the American hostages and created Hezbola, we can have a better understanding of why some in Iran do not want him inciting Iranian youth again.

I do hope that we could free ourselves from our own government's propaganda, and begin to see what is really going down.

[Pod-gers]

01:55 PM on 02/19/2011

here is a little something about the other "reformer," opposition leader from Wikipedia...

During his first term as speaker of Parliament, Karroubi was among the maktabi or "radical" faction of the majlis who contested the policies of President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. While Rafsanjani favored foreign investment and market reforms, Karroubi and others "sought to promote mass political participation and maintain state control of the economy". In fall of 1989 several radical clerics founded the Association of Combatant Clerics of Tehran, which Karroubi headed. Karroubi eventually left this association in 2005 and founded his own party, Etemad-e-Melli.[8]

In fact, the reason the opposition is reviled in Iran, is because of who they really are. Iran may need "reform," but these two are NOT REFORMERS!

[wereeverywhere]

02:02 PM on 02/19/2011

Your propaganda isn't a good substitute for anything.

You toss out the Iran Contra line while ignoring that it's IRI that's a right wing government that kills those who dissent on a thread where a government sponsored protest calls for the heads of the opposition. Trying to narrow a political movement that's fought the clerical military regime for decades to one man's past is ludicrous and shows your desperation. IRI's abuse is ongoing and everyday- the squashing of free speech, arresting journalists and closing newspapers, a stifling political system, and the sometimes lethal policy toward sexual and religious minorities.

But thank you for bringing in the topic of reactionary Latin American movements, because IRI is very much like some of the worst of this hemisphere.

[Pod-gers]

04:43 PM on 02/19/2011

You continue to spew your propaganda, and twist the facts beyond recognition, but even if thousands believe your lies, it will not make your lies true.

Mousivi in Iran was the agent of Iran Contra, NOT the current government, and it was he who created Hezbolla and bragged about taking the American's hostage, and defended holding them for 444 days, NOT the current government.

You, and your handelers, can try and rebrand this loser a "reformer," but he is still a radicle, and behaves with total disregard for the interests of the students he is inciting.

I would say, shame on you, except that I know you have no face.

As for free speech, even the US does not defend sedition as free speech.

FREE BRADLEY MANNING

[leutenizer banned twice]

04:51 AM on 02/19/2011

"The opposition demonstrations on Monday were aimed at showing solidarity with Egypt's uprising but turned into a major opposition rally."

This is the quote that shows how the media cooperated with the "narrative" of Iran we are being presented. There was no doubt the demonstrations were never about Egypt, everyone in Iran knew that from the beginning. But we were left out of that knowledge so that we would be the only ones to think "the government of Iran broke down demonstrations that were held for Egypt." Thus we would conclude the Iranian government is scared of what happened in Egypt. NONE OF THE NETWORKS EVEN MENTIONED THE ANNIVERSARY. We would conclude that, because we were never told Iran's 32nd anniversary of its revolution was only 3 days earlier, and the officials had declared THAT day to be the day of solidarity with Egypt. So, it would seem absurd that Iran would have a SECOND day of solidarity with Egypt in only 3 days. So, the cheap trick did not work. What's worse is that they lost more credibility by their dishonesty, as the demonstrations were always going to be against Iran's government.

I believe, the opposition would have served its cause better if it had been honest from the beginning and called it a day to demand one's rights. It is this sort of lack of boldness that has hurt the Greens. But what would one expect from such incompetent people as Mousavi. Yet another opportunity lost.

[JacksonD]

12:29 AM on 02/19/2011

I wonder how much food they had to promise to get everyone to show up?  Hope they didn't bring the Israeli oranges again LOL

[koroush1336]

06:44 AM on 02/19/2011

JacksonD: Hi,

That type of BASIJIS are also seen here in the virtual world which I call them "CYBER BASIJIS". These BASIJIS are trying to "justify" the criminal mullahs!

[JacksonD]

11:44 PM on 02/19/2011

Indeed they do!  Shame on them all.

[Pod-gers]

01:59 PM on 02/19/2011

Jackson, do you know who these so called opposition leaders really are? One was a leader in the taking of the American hostages, created Hezbolla, and was involved in Iran Contra, the other used to be called a radical, because he wanted to return Iran to state control of all business!

Common. Do you usually believe everything you read without vetting it?

[wereeverywhere]

02:55 PM on 02/19/2011

You're tying to reduce the opposition to the religious military government to one or two people. As absurd as that would normally be, in Iran that tradition goes back to the 79 revolution itself and has many strains and has taken many forms. The above poster simply notes the august IRI tradition of bribing people to show up at govt. events.

[JacksonD]

11:45 PM on 02/19/2011

Hi Pod-gers, wereeverywhere is right.  That was the basis for my comment.

[soodeeell]

08:52 PM on 02/18/2011

It's hard to continue reading after the words "worshippers chanted for their actual executions." These hate mongering fanatics have taken Iran and Islam hostage, and they have got to go.

[Magic 62]

11:10 PM on 02/18/2011

Come on. It was a staged political rally by the right that concluded with the same chant "Marg Bar" Mousavi and Khorubi, the left leaders. It doesn't mean they were asking for their execution. They always say "Marg Bar" usually Israel and US, sometimes UK, and once Russia after they cancelled the S-300 sale.

[soodeeell]

11:41 PM on 02/19/2011

They don't represent most Iranians. Iranians are known for being late to parties, fighting over who gets to pay the check, making sure you don't leave their table until you are stuffed, giving you whatever object they own that you complemented, and calling someone they don;t like folani. But saying "Marg Bar" folani is not something most Iranians do. It is what the hate mongering fanatics do, the same ones who took over the embassy, and scared people into thinking that if your daughter walks to school without a head covering they will spread acid in her face.

[jazzman]

07:51 PM on 02/18/2011

It's like whack a mole. Get rid of one repressive Stalinist type regime over there and another pops up over here. Iran is now our new repressive basket case.

[leutenizer banned twice]

04:52 AM on 02/19/2011

As if we did anything to get rid of the other ones. We are the ones who are losing our client states.

[Joshy X]

06:54 PM on 02/18/2011

looks like the same types at the wisconsin union rally

[jazzman]

07:54 PM on 02/18/2011

No, those who are like the Wisconsin protesters demonstrated on Tuesday before these government paid thugs were let loose.

However, when you're talking tea baggers and these demonstrators; you know manufactured movements to protect the rich an powerful dressed up as a populist movement, well then you would have something there.

[rikster]

06:23 PM on 02/18/2011

whats this...? a couple of regiments of the Revolutionary Guards earning their pay...!

[Rational Voice]

05:58 PM on 02/18/2011

"Thousands of Iranian government supporters called for the execution of opposition leaders" ... yeah, sorry, but it doesn't count when you're "protesting" under threat of death or job loss. It only counts when you're protesting in SPITE off death or job loss.

[dwal1]

05:51 PM on 02/18/2011

Iran, a religious asylum where the inmates are in control.

[sensimilla]

05:48 PM on 02/18/2011

Prayer Service-calls for executions.

Me thinks these folks do not understand Gawd very well..

[Magic 62]

08:10 PM on 02/18/2011

Every Friday prayer in Tehran includes a "Marg bar" something in its conclusion. It's a political charade that the government has been playing for years that they bus in participants for it.

[koroush1336]

06:41 AM on 02/19/2011

One thing is important to keep in mind, these COWARDS are not in any ways related to the folks in Iran. They are like bunch of INVADERS who have occupied that country and the NATIVES are gonna kid them out, pretty soon. It is only a matter of time and numbered days!

[Magic 62]

09:53 AM on 02/19/2011

Well, they are more Iranian than pathetic MEK supporters living in Tehrangeles.

[exile]

05:28 PM on 02/18/2011

the christian taliban
locally known as the tea party
should start calling for them bad ol lefties to be killed
any moment now

[John Melgar]

05:53 PM on 02/18/2011

you are way wrong the right is in support of the protesters. open your eyes some time

[Hesca419]

06:04 PM on 02/18/2011

I don't think those were the lefties he was talking about.

[John Melgar]

06:07 PM on 02/18/2011

the protester for the over throw of their opresive gov

[sistahfriend]

05:22 PM on 02/18/2011

Is this were the GOBPers are getting their lesson? Death to anyone who has an independent thought or don't agree with you. This is truly sad and why I believe people are rising up around the world. You can't keep your foot on someone neck and not expect them to fight back.

[scott63]

06:36 PM on 02/18/2011

Honestly the same thing is thought about liberals who excel at group thought and demonize anyone with a opposite outlook on life.

[johnfkennedyjr]

05:22 PM on 02/18/2011

The dictatorsh­ip of Iran is very similar to former communist dictatorsh­ips of Eastern Europe, where the party ruled just as the Iran theocracy rules. The similariti­es in they way the Iranian dictatorsh­ip speaks in public, writes in their version of "Pravda" newspapers also mirrors communist words and phrases- and of course the call for death to opponents. The search for spies everywhere and finding them in the most innocent of people is sadly all to familiar.

It seems to me the Iranian regime has taken more than a page from the communists­.

[clearmoments]

05:46 PM on 02/18/2011

Absolutely. Theocracies are really no different from other types of dictatorships. One can justify murder by delegating it to a higher power instead of having to take the guilt yourself. That is a facet of all totalitarian regime; to invoke "higher powers", "national security", "patriotism". All these are great rallying cries.

[looneydoone]

10:23 AM on 02/20/2011

all three invocations you've put in quotation marks were the rallying cry of the USA's Bush administration..........which you've correctly identified as being "":totalitarian"

[WordToYoMomma]

11:54 PM on 02/18/2011

Hmm. I think you should use the term Communist (capital C) Party. As far as I know, nothing about communism requires a dictators, propaganda, violence, or anything like that. In fact, I think it's generally assumed there is no government in a fully transformed communist state. I think communism is more about economics than government.

[johnfkennedyjr]

02:40 PM on 02/19/2011

I visited Czechoslovakia, the most successful communist nation with the highest standard of living ever by a communist country, I can tell you that communism is as political as it is economic becuase without the political side, the economics wouldn't happen. It takes a hammer to apply command side economics to a populace.

While Czechoslovakia had the highest standard of living by a communist nation before or since, it sucked!

[MilesTougeaux]

05:17 PM on 02/18/2011

This is modern civilization. This is modern civilization on God Myth. Any questions?

[Hesca419]

06:05 PM on 02/18/2011

*raises hand*

How do we make it go away?

[patman77]

05:01 PM on 02/18/2011

the tearanians have spoken

[Joshy X]

06:55 PM on 02/18/2011

you mean the wisconsonunionitarians