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Live blogging: Grand Ayatollah Montazeris wake, mourners flock to Qom…+ photos & video

Posted by Zand-Bon on Dec 20th, 2009 and filed under Labor & Industry, News, PLANET IRAN NEWS FOCUS, Photos, Video, video gallery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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First photo of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri's body surrounded by mourners at his residence in Qom

December 20, 2009

According to received reports from Qom a large number of mourners have begun gathering at the residence the Grand Ayatollah Montazeri who passed away in his sleep last night.

Following the announcement of his passing, supporters of this popular and respected , reformist leader and dissident senior cleric, began gathering at his house. Among the senior clerics and Marja’ Taghleed present are: Ayatollah Sanei, who along with Ayatollah Montazeri, has been at the forefront of the support for the Green movement in opposing the Islamic regime and the Ayatollahs Mousavi-Ardebili, Shabiri-Zanjani, Bayat-Zanjani and Amini.

Reportedly people from around the country have begun to travel to Qom in order to mourn the passing of this beloved Shia leader who has been a brave supporter of the people of Iran.

After announcing Montazeris passing, the Islamic regimes media outlets, such as the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) and Fars (a media branch of the revolutionary guards) took to attacking him, claiming him to have been “a corrupting agent in encouraging forces opposing Khomeini to take shape and organize”.

Montazeris funeral procession has been scheduled for Monday at 9 a.m., commencing from his residence toward the shrine of Saint Massoumeh. There are reports from various Green sources however that the provincial council of Qom is making every attempt to dissuade Montazeris family members from burying him in the shrine of Saint Massoumeh, while the security forces on the other hand are pushing for the family to have his body interred at the Behesht’eh Fatimeh cemetery in Qom.

Also witnesses in Qom report that an unprecedented number of security forces and revolutionary guards have begun to be put in place. Agents from the ministry of intelligence and security have surrounded the residence of this senior cleric and various other squadrons have been mobilized in and around the central areas of Qom and in the parking lot and surrounding streets of the shrine of Saint Massoumeh which is close to Montazeris offices. Reports state that the Islamic regime appears to be alarmed at the number of mourners that have been announced to be heading from various parts of Iran to Qom.

* Khamenei has called for an emergency session with high ranking officials of the hardline clergy, officials of the Ahmadinejad crew, the revolutionary guards, etc. Reportedly the aim of this gathering is to pressure Ayatollah Montazeris children to expedite the burial. Also steps are being taken to mobilize guards to initiate a state of emergency in Tehran, Qom, Najaf-Abad (the place of Ayatollah Montazeris birth), Esfahan, Mash’had and Tabriz.

* The reading of the Qor’an began at 10:30.

* Professors and Students at Tehran University canceled classes.

* Traffic in and around the city of Qom is heavy; especially the Tehran-Qom highway.

* The next wave of protests that have been scheduled for December 26th and 27th (Ashura and Tasua) will coincide with the one week observance (a Shia tradition) of Montazeris passing.

* The regime is now seriously considering the fact that it might just have to provide the permit for the march.

* The ministry of intelligence and security has begun taking steps in prohibiting the funeral ceremonies from taking place.

* Tonight in Tehran the observance of the is to be held at 10 p.m. in Mohseni Square in north Tehran to celebrate the life of the ‘Green Elder’.

* Ayatollah Montazeris personal physician, Dr. Baaher gives an interview to Resaa News Agency and describes the cause of death: “His age and various ailments such as heart and vascular issues, an enlarged prostate, pulmonary sensitivity, along with neurological problems and facial and physical spasms, all compounded were the cause for his death.

* Reports of a large and highly noticeable number of helicopters flying over Tehran. This is a sign that the Islamic regime anticipates the outbreak of potential protests and spontaneous upheaval.

* Rumors of Ayatollah Montazeris murder has begun to run rampant already, both throughout the various levels of society and through the media. Though the Green media and Norooz, the reformist site has indicated that in fact the cause of Montazeris death was due to his age and various ailments and in general his extremely fragile health.

* It is being said that in order to avoid possible protests on Monday, before, during or after the funeral, that Montazeri may be interred at night, quietly in a distant cemetery; this is entirely possible as the Islamic regime has in fact taken such action before. It was revealed that during the summer protests, that some of those who were executed on the sly at the various prisons around Tehran, were in fact buried in the dead of night, without informing the loved ones of those being buried.

* Protesters and members of various Green groups have begun emphasizing that should the regime take any steps that is deemed inappropriate, in any way, that they will face the ultimate challenge from the Iranian people.

* Rooidaad website reports that Mousavi and Karoubi will participate in Grand Ayatollah Montazeris wake and funeral ceremony on Monday morning.

* Khamenei sends a brief, official and polite condolences.

* Jers website reports that the regime’s alarmed officials and agents of the ministry of intelligence and security, on Sunday, placed phone calls to various leaders of the Green leaders, opposition activists and journalists, threatening them that if they appear at Montazeris funeral procession and ceremonies on Monday, in Qom, that they would be immediately arrested. Several people, including one of Montazeris students, Ahmad Ghabel who was on his way from Mash’had to Qom with members of his family have already been arrested.

* Regimes ministry of Islamic guidance prohibits the publication of Montazeris photo on front page of any of the newspapers and publications claiming that it would lead to the incitement of the public. Khamenei’s statement is only permitted to be printed on the front page.

* At 21:30 plain clothes agents arrest political activists and their families who were on buses headed to Qom, in Enghelab Square in Tehran. Among them were Abdollah Momenis wife, Payman Aref, Fayzollah Arab0-Sorkhi and his two daughters, Mostafa Tajerzadeh, Bahman Ahmadi-Amooi, Masood Baastaani, Ali Tajernia, Zohreh Aghajari, Shiva Nazar-Ahari and several others. The agents took each of the identity cards and they were then taken away in four door sedans to unknown locations. It is as of yet unknown which of the detainees were in fact put under arrest and held. What is certain is that Shiva Nazar-Ahari and Mahboobeh Abbass-Gholizadeh were in fact arrested.

Photos & videos below:

Announcement issued by Montazeris office

Last photo taken of Grant Ayatollah Montazeri

The lifeless body of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, Iran's most-senior dissident cleric, lies shrouded at his home, in the city of Qom, 78 miles (125 kilometers) south of Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009. Montazeri, who was seen as the spiritual father of Iran's reform movement, died aged 87 on Sunday. (AP Photo) EDITORS NOTE AS A RESULT OF AN OFFICIAL IRANIAN GOVERNMENT BAN ON FOREIGN MEDIA COVERING SOME EVENTS IN IRAN, THE AP WAS PREVENTED FROM INDEPENDENT ACCESS TO THIS EVENT

Najaf-Abad, Montazeris hometown wears black! Shopkeepers and business owners throughout Najaf-Abad closed their businesses and have lined the walls of that town with long sheets of black fabric along with photos of Montazeri. One of the slogans attached to the photos reads: "Felicitations to all Iranians, for he is now free from the cruelty and detention of the dictators".

Unidentified relatives and friends mourn around the shrouded body of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, Iran's most-senior dissident cleric, at his home, in the city of Qom, 78 miles (125 kilometers) south of Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009. Montazeri, who was seen as the spiritual father of Iran's reform movement, died aged 87 on Sunday. (AP Photo) EDITORS NOTE AS A RESULT OF AN OFFICIAL IRANIAN GOVERNMENT BAN ON FOREIGN MEDIA COVERING SOME EVENTS IN IRAN, THE AP WAS PREVENTED FROM INDEPENDENT ACCESS TO THIS EVENT

Below: A short report on France 24 English on the life of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri

Below: A short report on BBC on the life of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri

Below: A short report on Al Jazeera English on the life of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri

Below: Ayatollah Montazeri speaking English in his interview with Iranian journalist Emadedin Baghi

Below: Students at Elm va San’at (Science & Technology) University march and chant: “Mourn, mourn, today’s the day to mourn, Green people of Iran” & Marja is ever-prevailing, Montazeri is alive” (2 videos)

Below: Students at Arak University protest.

Below: Mourners march in the town of Najaf-Abad (the place of Ayatollah Montazeris birth), province of Esfahan (3 videos)

In the below video, the mourners in Najaf-Abad chant: “Dictator, dictator, Montarzeri’s path goes on.”

Below: Mohseni Square, Shaam’eh Gharibaan demonstration, mourning for Montazeri (4 videos)

Link to Ayatollah Montazeri’s last sermon on Eid Ghorban on November 29th, 2009.

Compiled and translated from Persian to English by Planet Iran staff

4 Responses for “Live blogging: Grand Ayatollah Montazeris wake, mourners flock to Qom…+ photos & video”

  1. says:

    [...] will be updating the stream all day as new footage turns up and Planet Iran has a great liveblog which is also being constantly [...]

  2. says:

    [...] are reports of regime helipcopters flying out over Tehran in anticipation of further protests. Comments [...]

  3. Ayatollah Montazeri’s wife dies | Planet-Iran.com says:

    [...] hundred days after the death of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, the spiritual leader of the Green Movement, his wife has also passed away. According to Grand [...]

  4. [...] at the Vakil-Abad prison in Mash’had.  According to Ahmad Qabel, one of the people close to Ayatollah Montazeri, who has spent recent months in that prison, in one day alone, 31 people were executed though the [...]

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