Mousavi's supporters hold new massive rally in Tehran,  U.S. asks Twitter to delay shutdown amid Iran vote dispute

Iran's Mousavi calls for Thursday mourning rally

2009-06-17 19:33:32  

·Mousavi called on his supporters to stage a peaceful mourning rally Thursday. ·At least seven people have been killed at the mass rally held by Mousavi supporters. ·Guardian Council has agreed on a re-count of disputed ballot boxes.

    TEHRAN, June 17 (Xinhua) --

Iran's defeated presidential election candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi called on his supporters to stage a peaceful mourning rally or gather in mosques on Thursday, according to a statement posted on his website on Wednesday.

    The statement called on his supporters to express their sympathy with the families of the killed or wounded people in the post-election unrest.

    "In recent days, a number of our countrymen were wounded and a number were martyred ... I ask the people to express their sympathy with the families of the martyred and wounded .... by coming together in mosques or staging a peaceful rally using the symbols of mourning. I will attend the ceremony myself," Mousavi said.

    Supporters of Mousavi reportedly planned to stage a new rally on Wednesday. However, Iran's Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli denied that any permission has been issued for the rally, according to the local Fars news agency.

    Mousavi's supporters have participated in massive rallies in Tehran and other cities over the past four days.

    At least seven people have been killed at the mass rally held by tens of thousands of Mousavi supporters, local English-language Press TV reported on Tuesday.

    The protesters were killed after they tried to attack a military post near Tehran's Azadi (Liberty) Square on Monday, the report said, adding that dozens of others were also wounded when protesters were trying to destroy public properties.

    The protests came after Iran's Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli announced Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won 62.63 percent of the total ballots during Friday's vote, while his main rival Mousavi got 33.75 percent.

    After the official declaration, Mousavi protested "strongly" the "obvious" violations in Iran's presidential election. He also appealed to the Guardian Council for a cancellation of the election result.

    The council has agreed on a re-count of disputed ballot boxes in last week's presidential election if it finds irregularities in the vote count, Press TV said.

Mousavi's supporters hold new massive rally in Tehran

2009-06-18 00:51:08  

    TEHRAN, June 17 (Xinhua) --

Supporters of Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi staged their latest massive rally on Wednesday in central Tehran, Iran's state television reported.

    Television footage showed that the demonstrators were holding placards in support of Mousavi and the presenter said the rally took place at the Haft-e Tir Square in central Tehran.

    Mousavi's supporters have participated in massive rallies in Tehran and other cities over the past four days.

    Since Tuesday afternoon, foreign journalists have been banned from covering events on Iran's streets and they are forced to work only in their offices.

    According to a statement posted on his website on Wednesday, Mousavi also called on his supporters to stage a peaceful mourning rally or gather in mosques on Thursday.

    The statement called on his supporters to express their sympathy with the families of the killed or wounded people in the post-election unrest.

    "In recent days, a number of our countrymen were wounded and a number were martyred ... I ask the people to express their sympathy with the families of the martyred and wounded .... by coming together in mosques or staging a peaceful rally using the symbols of mourning," Mousavi said.

    "I will attend the ceremony myself," he added.

    On Tuesday, supporters of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Mousavi held separate massive rallies in Tehran, state television reported.

    Thousands of pro-Ahmadinejad Iranians gathered at the Vali Asr Square in downtown Tehran Tuesday afternoon for a "unifying rally," while supporters of Mousavi also held a massive rally at the Vanak Square upper north in the city.

    Earlier Tuesday, Mousavi's supporters were reportedly planning to hold a massive rally at the Vali Asr Square, but later Mousavi urged them not to go there, warning that people "should be careful not to be trapped in the preplanned confrontation."

    On Saturday afternoon, Iran's Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli said Ahmadinejad won 62.63 percent of the total ballots during Friday's vote, while his main rival Mousavi got 33.75 percent.

    After the official declaration, Mousavi protested "strongly" the "obvious" violations in Iran's presidential election. He also appealed to the Guardian Council for a cancellation of the election result.

    The council has agreed on a re-count of disputed ballot boxes in last week's presidential election if it finds irregularities in the vote count, Press TV said.

U.S. asks Twitter to delay shutdown amid Iran vote dispute

 2009-06-18 08:50:40  

    BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhuanet) --

The U.S. administration has asked Twitter-- the social networking and micro-blogging service -- to delay its maintainance and avoid disruption in communications by the Iranians who use the service in the wake of their disputed presidential election.

    A State Department official in Washington said Twitter had been asked to delay Monday's shutdown because it was being used as "an important means of communications" in Iran.

    The official told reporters on condition of anonymity that Twitter was all the more important because the Iranian government "had shut down other websites, cell phones, and newspapers."

    "One of the areas where people are able to get out the word is through Twitter," the official said. "They announced they were going to shut down their system for maintenance and we asked them not to."

    Meanwhile, Iran directly protested the United States for meddling in the deepening dispute over the election.

    An Iranian statement said the government summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents U.S. interests in Iran, to complain about the interference. The two countries severed diplomatic relations after 1979 Islamic Revolution.

    On Tuesday, however， president Barack Obama firmly stressed that the United States does not want to be seen as interfering in the aftermath of the Islamic republic’s disputed presidential polls.

    “It is not productive, given the history of US-Iranian relations to be seen as ... meddling in Iranian elections,” Obama said.

    The State Department insisted that its move did not amount to meddling.

    “This is completely consistent with our national policy,” P.J. Crowley, assistant secretary of state for public affairs, told the New York Times Wednesday.

    “We are proponents of freedom of expression. Information should be used as a way to promote freedom of expression.”

    Officials also stepped up claims that foreign hands have been behind the unrest.

    (Agencies)

Editor: Huma Sheikh

Iran protests U.S. statement on presidential election

 2009-06-18 02:07:40  

    TEHRAN, June 17 (Xinhua) --

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned Swiss ambassador to Iran Livia Leu Agosti, who represents U.S. interests, to protest "interventionist" U.S. statements on the country's presidential election, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

    The Foreign Ministry communicate Iran's protest over the statements by U.S. officials about the presidential election to Leu Agosti, who agreed to transmit the protest to U.S. officials, Fars said.

    According to the report, a senior Canadian diplomat in Tehran had also been summoned to the Ministry.

    On Tuesday, the Ministry summoned a Czech charge d'affaires over EU statements on the country's disputed presidential vote results. Several European ambassadors were also reportedly summoned.

    Last Saturday afternoon, Iran's Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli said that the incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won 62.63 percent of the total ballots during Friday's vote, while former prime minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi got 33.75 percent.

    After the official declaration, Mousavi protested "strongly" in a statement the "obvious" violations in Iran's presidential election and supporters of Mousavi held demonstrations in the following days.

    U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Monday the United States is "deeply troubled" by the growing rioting which has flared in Iran because of the disputed presidential elections.

    U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday said that the disputed election in Iran revealed an eagerness for a change in the Islamic Republic and that people's voices should be heard and not suppressed.

Editor: Yan