December 18, 2009

Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

An Iranian cleric, Hojatoleslam Rahimian, called today for the leaders of Iran’s opposition Green Movement to be executed.

Rahimian reportedly made the call at a pro-government rally that was held after Tehran’s Friday Prayers to condemn the alleged insulting of the founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Khomeini.

Rahimian is quoted as saying that the “seditionists” should be executed in the fiercest manner. Rahimian is introduced as the representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Martyrs foundation.

“Khabaronline” news website reports that demonstrators expressed support for his comments by shouting, “The leaders of the Green sedition must be executed,” and, “Musavi, Karrubi, this is the last [warning].”

Hard-liners have accused opposition demonstrators of tearing down a picture of Khomeini during a student rally on December 7. But members of the opposition say the incident was staged to discredit the opposition and put it under more pressure.

Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Musavi and Mehdi Karrubi have called the incident “suspicious.” They have appplied for a permit to hold their own rally.

– Golnaz Esfandiari