Iran

Day of mourning turns violent

Article published on the 2009-07-30 Latest update 2009-07-30 14:00 TU

Mir Hossein Moussavi, 18 June 2009.
(Photo: AFP)

Crowds pelted police with stones as they gathered at a cemetery south of Tehran for a day of mourning to commemorate those who died in the protests following President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election in June.

Opposition leaders Mir-Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi were surrounded by riot police as they entered the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, where more than 2,000 people gathered to honour the “martyrs”.

Moussavi was forced to leave only a few minutes after he arrived.

“Today is a mourning day. Local Iranians are the mourners today,” shouted the crowds.

During the post-election turmoil in Iran, at least 30 people were killed, hundreds injured and thousands arrested.

The mourners gathered to mark the 40th day since the death of Neda Agha-Soltan, an Iranian protestor who was shot during the protests in Tehran. A video of her death circulated on the internet and helped her become an international symbol of the opposition to Ahmadinejad’s government.

Crowds gathered around Neda’s grave, decorated with flowers and candles, as police used sticks, batons and belts against the crowd and arrested several mourners.