TEHRAN, Iran – Senior Iranian cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is calling for the release of opposition supporters arrested in the government's crackdown on postelection protests.
Rafsanjani has made the call during his sermon at Iran's main Friday prayers, where tens of thousands of opposition supporters have gathered in a show of strength for their movement. Rafsanjani is considered their top supporters in Iran's clerical leadership.
Rafsanjani says keeping the detainees in prison "is not necessary," saying "we should not let enemies criticize or laugh at us ... for keeping our people in jail."
The opposition is seeking to show their movement remains vibrant even after the crackdown following Iran's disputed June 12 presidential election.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Tens of thousands of opposition supporters massed at Iran's main Islamic prayer service Friday, attempting a show strength at one of the country's most important and symbolic political platforms. Police fired tear gas at others as they headed to the prayers.
The opposition is seeking to show their movement remains vibrant even after the crackdown put down huge anti-government protests that erupted after Iran's disputed June 12 presidential election.
Since the turmoil began, the main Friday prayers at Tehran University have been a stage for hard-line clerics to lay down the line of Iran's supreme leader. But for the first time since the election, Friday's sermon is being delivered by the opposition's top backer in the clerical leadership, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Pro-reform activists hope he will show support for the movement in his sermon.
Tens of thousands — mostly pro-opposition but also some government backers — packed the prayer hall and shouted competing slogans. Hard-liners made traditional chants of "death to America," while opposition supporters countered with "death to Russia" — a reference to government's ties to Moscow. Many pro-reform worshippers wore green headbands or wristbands or had green prayer rugs — the opposition movement's color.
In the front row of the worshippers was opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, attending for the first time since the election. Mousavi claims he won the election and that results showing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory were fraudulent. He insists Ahmadinejad's government will be illegitimate. However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has backed Ahmadinejad. Hard-liners in the clerical leadership have since been demanding the public fall in line behind Khamenei, hoping to put behind them the biggest challenge to their rule in 30 years.
At the same time, thousands more opposition backers were heading toward Tehran University for a planned rally outside the campus after the prayers, raising fears of a confrontation with security forces or with hard-line militiamen, witnesses said.
Near the university gates, police fired tear gas at Mousavi supporters as they headed for the prayers, witnesses said. They spoke on condition of anonymity fearing government retaliation.
Two pro-reform Web sites reported that a prominent women's rights activist, Shadi Sadr, was beaten by plainclothes militiamen and taken away as she headed toward Tehran University. Sadr was forcible pushed into a car and taken to an unknown location, Mousavi's Web site http://www.mowjcamp.com and a women's activists site http://www.meydaan.com said.
The opposition has been looking for a way to keep their momentum after the crackdown against protests. In the past two weeks, they have been able to hold one day of rallies — on July 9, when thousands marched in the streets, confronting police weilding batons and firing tear gas.
At least 20 people have been killed in the crackdown, according to police, though rights groups fear the number could be several times that amount. Hundreds remain in prison, many of them held in secret locations, including some of the top political leaders of the reform movement.