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January 14, 2010
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Mourners carry the body of slain Iranian physics professor, Massoud Ali Mohammadi, who was killed when a bomb-rigged motorcycle exploded on Tuesday morning outside his home, at the bomb blast scene in his funeral ceremony, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010. The slain Iranian physics professor who had backed the country's opposition leader has been buried in a cemetery in northern Tehran. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) (Vahid Salemi - AP)
TEHRAN, — The funeral Thursday for an Iranian physics professor killed in a mysterious bomb attack turned into competing demonstrations by pro- and anti-government supporters with hundreds of security forces standing by.
Witnesses said half of about 1,000 people at the funeral for Masoud Ali Mohammadi were opposition supporters and there were some minor scuffles with police during the burial. Some carried green banners, the color symbolizing their movement, and shouted support for the opposition. The other side chanted “Down with the U.S.” and “Death to ” as mourners carried the body shrouded in an Iranian flag on their shoulders.
People carry the flag-draped body of slain Iranian physics professor, Massoud Ali Mohammadi, who was killed when a bomb-rigged motorcycle exploded on Tuesday morning outside his home, in his funeral ceremony, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010. The slain Iranian physics professor who had backed the country's opposition leader has been buried in a cemetery in northern Tehran. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) (Vahid Salemi - AP)
Some cameramen and photographers covering the funeral were taken to a police station, where their press IDs were checked. They were later released.
The 50-year-old Tehran University professor was killed when a bomb-rigged motorcycle exploded Tuesday morning outside his home as he was leaving for work. It remains unclear why the researcher with no prominent political voice, no published work with military relevance and no declared links to Iran’s nuclear program was targeted for assassination.
Authorities blamed an armed Iranian opposition group acting on behalf of Israel and the U.S. The U.S. government forcefully denied any involvement and Israel did not comment.
Iranian women react, during the funeral ceremony of slain Iranian physics professor, Massoud Ali Mohammadi, who was killed when a bomb-rigged motorcycle exploded on Tuesday morning outside his home, at the bomb blast scene, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010. The slain Iranian physics professor who had backed the country's opposition leader has been buried in a cemetery in northern Tehran. Hundreds of mourners and opposition supporters attended the funeral on Thursday. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) (Vahid Salemi - AP)
Before the disputed June presidential election, Ali Mohammadi had signed a list of 420 Tehran University faculty supporting the leading opposition candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi. In recent weeks, hard-line government supporters have called for the execution of the opposition leaders.
But the professor did not take any known high-profile role in anti-government protests after the election.
Mousavi’s supporters claim he was the rightful winner of the election and allege Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared president through fraud.
A woman, stands between two police officers as she gestures, during the funeral ceremony of slain Iranian physics professor, Massoud Ali Mohammadi, who was killed when a bomb-rigged motorcycle exploded on Tuesday morning outside his home, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010. The slain Iranian physics professor who had backed the country's opposition leader has been buried in a cemetery in northern Tehran. Hundreds of mourners and opposition supporters attended the funeral on Thursday. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) (Vahid Salemi - AP)
Two former Iranian presidents who are now both leading opposition figures – Mohammad Khatami and Hashemi Rafsanjani – condemned the killing on Wednesday as an act of terrorism that could deepen unrest and violence. But both hard-line government supporters and the opposition are calling him a “martyr” of terrorism, adding to the murkiness surrounding the killing.
Iran’s nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, offered his condolences, state TV reported. Salehi said the professor was a “shining figure” in Iran’s prominent Sharif University in the past, when Salehi was a chancellor there.
People carry the flag-draped body of slain Iranian physics professor, Massoud Ali Mohammadi, who was killed when a bomb-rigged motorcycle exploded on Tuesday morning outside his home, in his funeral ceremony, as a man hold an anti-Israel banner, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010. The slain Iranian physics professor who had backed the country's opposition leader has been buried in a cemetery in northern Tehran. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) (Vahid Salemi - AP)