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Police
fire tear gas on Iranian protesters
Wednesday March 02, 2011 08:26:16 AM,
DPA
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Tehran/Berlin: Police
fired tear gas on crowds of demonstrators in Tehran Tuesday, as
fresh protests got underway against the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, opposition websites and witnesses reported.
Thousands of people gathered in several parts of Tehran to protest
the alleged imprisonment of two main opposition leaders - Mir
Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, and their wives, Zahra
Ranhavard and Fatemeh Karroubi - in the Heshmatieh military prison
in eastern Tehran.
Witnesses say that there have been clashes between protesters and
police and anti-riot forces near Tehran university, in central
Tehran, forcing police to use tear gas to disperse the crowd.
According to the reports, police and anti-riot police have been
deployed in several Tehran districts, especially in the Seyed
Khandan district, where the Heshmatieh military prison is located.
The protesters reportedly shouted slogans in favour of Moussavi
and Karroubi. They also shouted Allah'o Akbar (God is Great), and
"Death to the Dictator".
Opposition websites reported that after the number of protesters
has increased, especially in Seyed Kahndan and near the Tehran
university, police, security and anti-riot forces started to beat
them with electric batons.
Unconfirmed reports said shots were heard in several districts.
There was no initial news of any casualties.
The opposition websites further reported that protests were also
held in several other Iranian cities, including the religious city
of Mashad.
Witnesses say that dozens of demonstrators in Tehran were arrested
by police. Also in Mashad at least ten people were reportedly
arrested.
Several students in Tehran have boycotted their classes to attend
the protests.
Opposition websites had Monday reported the prison transfers of
Moussavi and Karroubi, who have been under house arrest for nearly
two weeks.
SBut state media quoted the state prosecutor general as rejecting
the report. The office said the Moussavi and Karroubi were only
under house arrest.
But the families of the two leaders insisted that the two were not
at their residences and had definitely been transferred to
Heshmatieh prison. They said that, if the men were not jailed,
then the official should allow them to visit the pair wherever
they were being kept.
Foreign media has once again been prohibited from directly
covering the unrest, making it impossible to verify the reports
from opposition sites.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast called on the West
"to listen to the voice of the majority, rather than a few of
them".
"These are internal affairs and no country has and will have any
right to interfere in the decisions by the judiciary,"
Mehmanparast said.
The German and US governments Monday criticised Iran over the
arrest of the two opposition politicians, saying the detentions
violate their fundamental human rights.
The Iranian opposition said Monday that its protests would
continue until the release of its leaders. More are scheduled for
March 15.
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