Iranian opposition plans silent protests on election anniversary

Jun 12, 2011, 8:09 GMT

Tehran - The Iranian opposition on Sunday called for silent protests against the government on the second anniversary of the disputed presidential election, opposition websites reported.

Demonstrations were planned in central and northern Tehran but designed to avoid provoking violent confrontation with police.

Opposition leaders Mir-Hossein Moussavi and Mehr Karroubi have been under house arrest since February.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won re-election on June 12, 2009 despite accusations of vote fraud.

Violence related to the post-election protests led to the deaths of more than 30 dissidents and thousands of arrests. The opposition claimed the death toll to be more than 80.

More than 100 people including journalists, artists and former reform-oriented ministers and parliament deputies received heavy jail terms. Two monarchists were executed. Six other dissidents are on death row.

The second election anniversary was overshadowed by an internal crisis due to differences between Ahmadinejad and the clergy and conservative circles since April.

Some clerics charged that Ahmadinejad allies planned to remove the clergy from power, some even said that the president was 'bewitched' by his aides.

The aides were branded the 'deviant current' and accused of undermining the ruling Islamic system and the authority of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who according to the constitution has the final say on all state affairs.

Ahmadinejad said last week that the growing criticism against him would not affect his policies.