Iran blocks president's supporters from British embassy (Roundup)

Jun 23, 2009, 8:36 GMT

   Hamburg/Tehran - Iran prohibited supporters of re-elected conservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from demonstrating against against Britain's alleged interference in Iranian affairs Tuesday.

   The Interior Ministry said in a statement that although it also condemned foreign interference in internal matters, no permission was issued for a protest in front of the British embassy.

   Britain, like several other Western nations, has urged Iran to honour human rights and re-examine the results of the June 12 presidential polls, which Ahmadinejad won by a landslide, according to official results.

   Opposition supporters accuse the government of vote fraud and have been protesting for 11 days, calling for the annulment of the results and demanding a new election, despite threats of a government crackdown.

   The country's powerful Guardian Council, in charge of reviewing the elections, is to announce its final verdict on Wednesday.

   According to witnesses, security forces have violently broken up street protests. However, state media said the clashes, in which at least 10 people were killed over the weekend, were triggered by 'rioters.'

   Observers in Tehran believe the pro-Ahmadinejad protests could extend to the German and French embassies. Iran's leadership has criticized the three countries, which lead the European Union's negotiations on Iran's controversial nuclear programme, for their stance on the election results.