Scuffles mar funeral of murdered scientist Dr Masoud Ali-Mohammadi

SUPPORTERS of Iran's regime yesterday hijacked the funeral of a nuclear scientist killed in a mysterious bomb attack as it sought to bolster its claim that he was murdered by foreign agents.

Hundreds of government loyalists surrounded Masoud Ali-Mohammadi's body as it was carried from his home in northern Tehran.

State-controlled television showed them waving Iranian flags and chanting anti-American and antiIsraeli slogans.

Opposition websites reported scuffles between security forces and members of the so-called Green Movement, who also turned up to mourn but were held back. They believe that the regime killed Dr Ali-Mohammadi, on Tuesday because he had switched his allegiance to Mir Hossein Mousavi, the opposition leader.

Unconfirmed reports claimed that security forces kept Dr Ali-Mohammadi's family away from the body. The regime has spent the past three days vigorously promoting the story that Dr Ali-Mohammadi, 50, was killed by foreign enemies with the help of Iranian "mercenaries".

President Ahmadinejad described the scientist yesterday as a "Hezbollahi (regime loyalist) and pious university professor serving his people" and claimed that he was assassinated in "Zionist" style.

On Wednesday Ali Larijani, the parliamentary speaker, blamed America and Israel for the attack. "We had clear information that the intelligence apparatus of the Zionist regime and the CIA wanted to implement terrorist acts," he said.

However, the regime's narrative is undermined by the lack of any evidence that Dr Ali-Mohammadi was contributing to Iran's nuclear programme, as well as by his declared support for the opposition. Dr Ali-Mohammadi, who taught at Tehran University, specialised in particle physics and was not known to Western officials or agencies which monitor Iran's nuclear programme.

He was one of 420 academics who signed a statement of support for Mr Mousavi during the presidential election campaign last June.

Two former presidents, the reformist Mohammed Khatami and Hashemi Rafsanjani, have issued statements calling Tuesday's bombing an act of terrorism - but by not blaming Israel or America they gave the clear impression that they were blaming the regime.

The Australian

Ahmadinejad faces test of strength as fresh protests sweep Iran

The Islamic Republic has seldom seen such scenes.

President Ahmadinejad had to cut short an interview on state-controlled television because chants of “Ahmadi! Ahmadi! Resign! Resign!” could clearly be heard in the background.

After two quiescent summer months, huge new protests erupted across Iran yesterday, with popular anger at the alleged theft of June’s presidential election inflamed by the subsequent killing, torture, rape and show trials of opponents of the regime.

Mir Hossein Mousavi, 68, the former Prime Minister and de facto opposition leader, had to abandon plans to join the huge anti-government demonstrations in Tehran when hardliners attacked him and his car.

Ayatollah Khatami, 65, a popular former President who supports the opposition, was knocked to the ground, had his robe ripped and lost his cleric’s turban — a black garment signifying that he is a sayyid, or descendant of the Prophet.

In Tehran and other cities, tens of thousands of demonstrators hijacked Iran’s annual al-Quds Day rallies in support of the Palestinian cause and turned them into protests against the oppression of Iranians.

The security forces hit back with teargas and baton charges. There were violent confrontations between government and opposition supporters in the squares and avenues of central Tehran and numerous reports of arrests and injuries.

In an address to the Friday prayers gathering in Tehran, Mr Ahmadinejad caused international outrage by again dismissing the Holocaust as a myth and claiming that the regime in Israel was collapsing. Yesterday’s turmoil, however, suggested that his regime was the one in trouble.

There had been no major demonstrations since July 17 but the Government could hardly cancel al-Quds Day, an event initiated by Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, and the opposition seized its chance.

Its supporters turned out in huge numbers and paralysed the centre of Tehran; estimates of the turnout ranged from 100,000 to 500,000. They were young and old, male and female, rich and poor, and came with green wristbands, T-shirts, balloons and banners to show support for Mr Mousavi’s green movement.

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Source: Times Online

Ahmadinejad scores big win in Iran vote

By Parisa Hafezi and Fredrik Dahl in Tehran | June 13

HARDLINE President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad resoundingly won Iran's election, preliminary official results showed on Saturday, but his moderate challenger alleged irregularities and claimed victory for himself.

The level of the incumbent's support, roughly twice as many votes as former Prime Minister Mirhossein Mousavi with most ballots counted, confounded analyst predictions of a tight race.

A bitterly fought campaign generated intense excitement inside Iran and strong interest around the world, with policymakers looking for signs of a change in Tehran's approach in a long-running row with the West over its nuclear ambitions.

Listing several complaints before official results were announced, Mr Mousavi said many people had not been able to vote and that there had been a lack of ballot papers.

He also accused authorities of blocking text messaging, with which his campaign tried to reach young, urban voters.

"I am the definite winner of this presidential election," Mr Mousavi told a news conference.

But the Islamic Republic's election commission said Dr Ahmadinejad was ahead with 64.8 per cent of the votes from Friday's presidential election in the world's fifth biggest oil exporter after more than 30 million ballots had been counted.

Mr Mousavi had around 32 per cent support, said the commission. Based on an Interior Ministry estimate of a maximum 80 per cent turnout of Iran's 46 million eligible voters, he could not beat Dr Ahmadinejad with the votes still to be counted.

The official news agency IRNA said: "Dr Ahmadinejad, by winning most votes ... has secured his victory." State media said final results would be announced later tonight.

Trita Parsi, president of the Washington-based National Iranian American Council, expressed disbelief at the wide margin in Dr Ahmadinejad's favor.

"It is difficult to feel comfortable that this occurred without any cheating," Mr Parsi said.

Speaking in Washington before the results were released, US President Barack Obama said his administration was excited about the debate taking place in Iran and he hoped it would help the two countries to engage "in new ways."

Source: The Australian