Iran’s opposition leader ready to die for his cause

03/01/2010 00:54

By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran

Published: January 1 2010 12:36 | Last updated: January 1 2010 12:50

Iran’s opposition leader, Mir-Hossein Moussavi, declared his willingness to die for his cause on Friday after government supporters openly threatened him with execution.

Mr Moussavi, who ran against President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad in last June’s election, issued a tough and outspoken statement, denouncing the Islamic regime’s use of violence against opposition demonstrators and proclaiming his own determination.

“I have no fear to be one of the martyrs,” said Mr Moussavi, adding that Iranians were striving for their “legitimate religious and national rights”.

The government has escalated its verbal attacks on Mr Moussavi and other opposition leaders, notably Mehdi Karroubi, a former speaker of parliament who also ran for the presidency last year.

Thousands called for their execution at pro-government rallies held on Wednesday and, unusually, these chants were carried live on state television.

This followed opposition protests on Sunday during which people shouted slogans against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader. The intelligence ministry and the judiciary have called on the opposition leaders to condemn these attacks on the Ayatollah or face trial because of their implicit approval.

But Mr Moussavi refused to do so in his statement published on Friday. Instead, he said that Sunday’s rallies had been peaceful until the regime responded with force, in which “innocent people were pushed off bridges and heights, [and] shootings, driving over people and assassinations” took place.

He added: “I explicitly say the order to execute, murder and imprison Karroubi and Moussavi and people like us would not resolve the problem.”

Mr Moussavi said: “Let’s assume you create silence for a few days with arrests, violence, threats and shutting down newspapers and media. How are you going to deal with people’s change of mind about the regime? How will you compensate the destruction of legitimacy?”

The political crisis has become increasingly polarised: the opposition Green Movement is growing more radical, with some of its supporters calling for a secular state. Meanwhile, the regime routinely uses force against opposition gatherings and officials have accused Mr Moussavi’s supporters of “Moharebeh” – an offence carrying the death penalty which literally means to “fight with God”.

Mr Moussavi said the regime had no option but to recognise the “serious crisis” and pursue “national reconciliation”. The government must accept responsibility for the post-election turmoil and be held accountable, he said, adding that Iran should have a new election law to prevent what he believes was the rigging of the last poll from happening again. Mr Moussavi also called for the release of political prisoners, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly for peaceful rallies.

Mr Moussavi said that radical voices among the regime’s supporters were encouraging a “civil war”. Borrowing the words of the founder of the Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Mr Moussavi said: “Kill us, we will become stronger”.

 

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