Iran is bracing for a third day of protests after defeated candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi called for the election results to be annulled. On June 14, tens of thousands rallied in Tehran to celebrate President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory—as riot police and anti-Ahmadinejad protesters again clashed in several parts of the city. Police used baton and motorbike charges as well as tear gas. Streets were littered with broken glass and fires set by protesters, while more riot police patrolled Mousavi strongholds. Mousavi supporters cried “death to the dictator” into the evening. Scores have been reported arrested. “I urge you, Iranian nation, to continue your nationwide protests in a peaceful and legal way,” Mousavi told his supporters, while calling on Iran’s Guardian Council to annul the election. (BBC, June 15)
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Letter from Iran
A comrade in Tehran writes:
I contact you to ask for help in order to mobilize international public opinion against widespread deception in recent election in my country. The authorities have manipulated people’s votes unashamedly. Lots of people voted to say “No” to current president, but they shockingly changed the results and announced.
I know it might be out of the scope you work in, but I would like you to inform other people.
We believe in democracy. We believe in non-violent method to change, but the world saw what happened. Now all the ways of communication are blocked, no SMS, no internet, all the dissent web sites are filtered, and all the dissent newspapers are banned. Lots of political activists are arrested.
Please say the people you know that we didn’t vote for him. He is not our representative, because we ourselves know what the majority has done. There is no hope to official and legal solutions. We need help. Please prevent your government from recognizing Ahmadi Nejad’s State. Please provoke public opinion against him.
The only thing we want is the real result of our votes. WHERE ARE OUR VOTES?
Please help us to prohibit Iran to be another Burma.
Please, for God’s sake, for the sake of humanity or every thing you believe in, don’t release my name.
We are still alive, don’t let them kill our souls and rights,
Petition to protest “coup” in Iran
Online at GoPetition:
Protest against the June 2009 coup d’état in Iran
We Iranian people and supporters of democracy and freedom across the world request united nations to condemn the current coup d’état, support Iranians in their efforts for a fair election and restrain from accepting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the next president of Iran.
We ask the world leaders to insist on security of the opposition leaders–president elect Mir Hossein Mousavi, former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Rafsanjani and the former speaker of the Parliament Mehdi Karoubi.