Iran resumes trial of dissidents over post-vote unrest (Roundup)

Sep 14, 2009, 10:56 GMT

   Tehran - An Iran court on Monday resumed the trial of dissidents over their involvement in unrest following the controversial June 12 presidential election, the Khabar news network reported.

   The latest session of the trial was held at Tehran's revolutionary court and focused on six dissidents, including student activist Abdollah Momeni.

   According to official statistics, more than 4,000 protestors were arrested following demonstrations against alleged election fraud, of which some 110 dissidents - the opposition claims double that - are still jailed.

   The defendants are accused of having planned to topple the Islamic system through a 'soft revolution.'

   State media reported that Momeni accepted charges of having acted against national security by spreading false propaganda against the establishment and while apologizing to the Iranian people, he demanded amnesty from the court.

   Also the other five defendants were charged with spreading lies against the establishment through Internet and foreign news networks.

   The opposition has decried the hearings as 'show trials' which would discredit the country in the outside world.

   Several Iranian officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have called on the judiciary to take legal action against the main initiators of the unrest.

   The opposition is currently led by the quartet of former premier Mir-Hossein Moussavi, former parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi and the two ex-presidents Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, who currently leads the opposition to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.