Iran: Your Easy-to-Use Ayatollah Scorecard

The Latest from Iran (22 July): “The Pendulum Swings” Towards Opposition

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Amidst much discussion, including on Enduring America, about the position of clerics in the post-election conflict, the excellent Tehran Bureau has compiled a list of the positions of ayatollahs who have made their views known publicly. Six Grand Ayatollahs have made statements supporting demonstrations, two have been neutral, and one opposed. Amongst Ayatollahs, eight (including Hashemi Rafsanjan) have been supportive of at least some opposition demands, two neutral, and seven opposed. (Note: Ayatollah Ali Mohammad Dastghaib, who wrote an open letter to Hashemi Rafsanjani today, can be added to the list of supporters of the protest movement):

Since protests erupted in Iran after its disputed Presidential election, a growing number of influential Shia clerics have made statements in favor of the protesters.

Grand Ayatollahs in Support of Protesters (in alphabetical order)

Though an exact list is hard to come by, experts agree that there are only a few dozen Grand Ayatollahs now living. Shia clerics earn the title of Grand Ayatollah through years of study, publishing papers and books on theological subjects, and gathering thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers. Literally translated, grand ayatollah, or marja taqlid, means “source of emulation.”

Grand Ayatollah Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardabili: “We do not have to pacify the protest by force,” said Ardabili in a meeting in late June with the Guardian Council, according to widely-quoted story from the Iranian Labour News Agency. “Let the people decide who is right and who is not.” Ardabili was a close and senior aid to Ayatollah Khomeini, and was the head of the Judicial system of Iran until Khomeini,’s death. He also established Mofid University.

Grand Ayatollah Bayat-Zanjani issued a fatwa July 12 calling the elections illegitimate. On July 6 he said, “Every healthy mind casts doubt on the way the election was held… “More regrettable are post-election large-scale arrests, newspaper censorship and website filtering, and above all the martyrdom of our countrymen whom they describe as rioters,” according to a story in the Los Angeles Times. Bayat-Zanjani’s Farsi-language website has recently been filled with almost daily statements like these. Bayat-Zanjani is a former chancellor of Tehran University.

Grand Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi Golpayegani called the election results announced by the government “a grand lie,” according to a June 30 story in Le Monde. Golpayegani, who was the first Secretary-General of the Guardian Council after the Revolution, met with some members of the Council and reportedly expressed regrets for what had happened.

Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri: A pro-Ahmadinijad website claimed July 13 that Montazeri suffers “severe memory disorders” and asks who has written statements attributed to the Grand Ayatollah. Montazeri responded by posting a photograph of a statement in his own handwriting on his website. On July 12, Montazeri wrote a fatwa calling the regime “un-Islamic.” He went on to say: “Injustice is the intentional opposition to the teachings of religion, the foundations of reasonableness, and rationality, and the national accords and consensus that have become the laws of the land. The ruler who opposes these is no longer qualified to rule.” He posted a July 8 statement to: “Protest the improper performance of official repression.” He has also called for three days of mourning for the death of Neda Agha-Soltan and other protesters. He has also said that, “No one in their right mind” could believe the election results,” in a statement issued June 16. Montazeri’s support for this June’s protesters is important but hardly surprising. Once the hand-picked successor to former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, Montazeri lost favor after protesting the executions of political prisoners in the late 1980s and spent years under house arrest in the holy city of Qom after criticizing the current Supreme Leader.

Grand Ayatollah Yousef Saanei: “Everyone in the past days witnessed the attacks… that maimed, murdered, and caged any number of children,” said Saanei according to a translation of a July 3 statement on his website. Saanei had already expressed his “sympathy with the families of the victims of the recent disasters.” A confidante of Ayatollah Khomeini, Saanei retired as the head of the Guardian Council in 1988. More recently, he issued a fatwa in which he declared suicide bombing as haram and a ‘terrorist act.’

Grand Ayatollah Jalaleddin Taheri called the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad “illegitimate” and “tyrannical,” according to a July 1 story from Radio Free Europe. He also said the regime’s actions are sending the Islamic Republic “to a museum.” Like Montazeri, Taheri is also a powerful cleric with a history of protest. One of Ayatollah Khomeini’s close friends and former Friday prayer leader of the city of Isfahan, he resigned his post in 2002 in protest over government corruption, the house-arrest of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, and the actions of militias he called club-wielding vigilantes.

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Iran: A List of Those Killed and Detained (21 July)

The Latest from Iran (22 July): “The Pendulum Swings” Towards Opposition

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The blog Revolutionary Road, a useful source of information throughout the post-election crisis, has posted a list of names of more than 60 people killed or missing and more than 300 detained since 12 June:

Killed by Government Forces

Abolfazl Abdollahi (21 years Diploma in EE June 30 2009)
Neda Aghasoltan (Student Tehran 20 June 2009)
Vahed Akbari (34 years married with a 3-year-old girl Tehran June 30 2009)
Kaveh Alipour(Tehran15 June 2009)
Naser Amirnejad (Aerospace PhD student Tehran U.14 June 2009)
Sohrab Arabi(Tehran June 2009)
Mohammad Asgari (IT department Interior Ministry TehranJune 2009)
Kianoosh Assa (chemistry student at Elm va Sanaat University Tehran June 2009)
Fatemeh Barati (Tehran June 20)
Yagoub Barvayeh( masters degree student in Theater at Tehran University June 2009)
Sarvar Boroumand (Tehran June 25 2009)
Mobina Ehterami (Tehran June 20)
Mostafa Ghanian (Graduate student Tehran U.14 June 2009)
Mohsen Hadadi (24-year-old computer programmer Tehran June 30 2009)
Iman Hashemi (Tehran June 30 2009)
Masoud Hashem-Zadeh (Tehran June 30 2009)
Farzad Hashti( Tehran June 2009)
Mohammad Hossein Barzegar (Tehran June 27 2009)
Mohsen Imani ( Tehran June 20)
Seyed-Farzad Jashni (Abdanan from Ilam province lost in Tehran June 30 2009)
Bahman Jenabi (Shop worker Tehran20 June 2009)
Mehdi Karami( killed in Jonat Abad Street Tehran15 June 2009)
Shalar Khazri (Tehran June 2009)
Masoud Khosravi (Tehran June 25 2009)
Parisa Koli (25-year-old general Graduated literature Tehran June 31 2009)
Hamid Maddah Shorcheh (Mashhad June 2009)
Iman Namazi (student at Tehran University June 25 2009)
Nader Nasseri (Tehran June 30 2009)
Mohammad Nikzadi ( 22 year old graduate in Civil Tehran June 26 2009)
Mehrdad Heydari(Journalist Mashhad 12 July)
Davood Sadri (Karaj June 2009)
Fahimeh Salahshoor ( 25 years Tehran June 24 2009)
Ali Shahedi ( 24 years Tehranpars after arrest June 31 2009)
Kasra Sharafi (Tehran June 20)
Kambiz Shojaii (Tehran June 20)
Ashkan Sohrabi Student (Tehran20 June 2009)
Seyed-Reza Tabatabaii ( 30-year accounting degree Tehran June 30 2009)
Vahid-Reza Tabatabaii (29 years BA in English Tehran July 3 2009)
Salar Tahmasbi (27 years student of Business Administration Rasht June 30 2009)
Hossein Tahmassebi (25 was beaten to death in Kermanshah 20 June 2009)
Mohammad Kamrani (student Tehran 16 July)
Arman Estakhripour (18 years old student Shiraz 14 July)
Alireza Eftekhari (Student, Journalist Abrar-e eqtesadi newspaper 30 June)

Saeed Abbasi (24 years old ,Tehran 20 June)
Ahmad Naeem Abadi (Tehran ,15 June)
Salar Ghorbani Param (22 years old ,Tehran,unknown date)
Hossein Toufanpour (Tehran 20 June)
Tina Soudi (Student ,Tehran,20 June)

Hossein Akhtar Nejad (Isfahan ,unknown date)
Maryam Mehr Azin (24 years old Tehran)
Hossein Akhtar Nejad (Isfahan ,unknown date)
Maryam Mehr Azin (24 years old Tehran)
Milad Yazdan Panah (30 years old Tehran)

Hamed Besharati(26 years old Tehran)
Babak Sepehr(35 years old Tehran)
Neda Asadi
Amir Kaviri (Tehran)
Moharram Chegini Qeshlaqi (34 years old Tehran)
Mohammad Hossein Feizi (26 years old Tehran)

Ramin Ramezani(22 years ols Tehran)
Saeed Esmaeeli Khanbebin (23 years old Tehran)
Ali Fathalian(Tehran)
Taraneh Mousavi (arrested 28 June ,died on unknown date)
Mr. Mo’azez (27 years old Tehran)
Masoud Hashemzadeh(27 years old,Tehran,20june)

Arrested University Students

Ali Abbasi (student at Mazandaran University)
Sohrab Ahadian ( student at Tehran University arrested June 17 when the Tehran University Dormitories were violently attacked)
Ali Ahmadi (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Sogan Alikhah ( student at Mazandaran University arrested June 22)
Vahid Amirian ( student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Reza Arkouzi (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Mohammad Bagher Shabanpour ( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Rouholah Bagheri ( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Hojat Bakhtiari (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Mohsen Barzegar (student at Babol Engineering Univeristy arrested June 18)
Farhad Binazadeh (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Milad Chegini (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Adrin Jalali (25 years old MA student Tehran arrested 14 June)
Mohammad Davoudian (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Mahmoud Delbari (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Ali Dinavari (student at Mazandaran University)
Mosaab Ebrahimi (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Karim Emami (student was arrested during the attack on the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14)
Naseh Faridi (student at Teacher Training Universtiy arrested June 17)
Marjan Fayazi (student at Mazandaran University arrested June 22)
Esmaieel Ghorbani (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Siavash Hatam (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Farshid Heydari Zamin (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Mohammadreza Hohabadi ( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Mohammad Hossein Emami (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Milad Hosseini Koshtan (student at Mazandaran University)
Bahareh Hosseini (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Elaheh Imanian (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Reza Jafarian (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Esmaiel Jalilvand ( a student activist in Shiraz University arrested 21 June)
Seyed Javad hosseini (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Fazolah Joukar ( student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Mohammad Karimi (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Mohammad Khansari (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Behnam Khodabandeh lou (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Nastaran Khodarahimi (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Alireza Khoshbakht (an expelled graduate student arrested June 17)
Alireza Kiani ( student at Mazandaran university)
Mostafa Mehdizadeh (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Shouaneh Merikhi (student at Mazandaran University)
Erfan Mohammadi (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Mehdi Mosafer (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Ziaoldin Nabavi (secretary of the Education Rights Council arrested 16 June)
Hamdollah Namjou ( a student activist in Shiraz University arrested 21 June)
Ali Nazari (student at Mazandaran University)
Amin Nazari ( student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Hesam oldin Bagheri (student at Babol Engineering Univeristy arrested June 18)
Ghamdideh Olum( student was arrested during the attack to the TehranUuniversity Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Saeed Parvizi (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Iman Pourtahmasb( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Ebrahim Raidian( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Ali Raiee (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Ali Refahi (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Omid Rezaiee (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Seifolah Rmezani (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Farhan Sadeghpour( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Siavoush Safavi (student at Mazandaran University)
Saman Sahebjalali (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Hanif Salimi (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Siavash Saliminejad( student at Babol Engineering Univeristy arrested June 20)
Iman Sedighi (student at Babol Engineering Univeristy arrested June 18)
Majid Selahvand( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Pouria Sharifian (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Iman Shaydaieezaban( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Hamed Shaykh alishahi (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Farhad Shirahmad( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Nahid Siahvand (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Omid Sohravi ( student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Imani ( student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Farshad Taheri (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Zahra Tohidi (an expelled graduate student arrested June 17)
Somayeh tohidlou (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Ezat Torbati (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories midnight on June 14)
Mehdi Torkaman (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Rahman Yaghoubi ( student at Mazandaran university)
Maziar Yazdani ( student at Mazandaran university)
Ashkan Zahabian (student at Mazandaran University)
Hadis Zamani (student at Bualisina University in Hamedan)
Naser Zamani (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14)
Nima Nahvi ( Babol Uni student arrested 1 July)
Ashkan Aghazadeh (26 years old ,student, Tehran arrested on 9 July)
Mohammad Ali Salehi (22 years old ,Student , Tehran ,arrested 17 June)

University Professors

Alborzi (university Professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin)
Ardeshir Amirarjomand( chair of UNESCO-s Democracy and Human Rights Program at Shahid Beheshti University)
Darvish( university Professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin)
Fazli (university Professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin)
Imani( university Professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin)
Izadi (Professor of Bualisina University in hamedan arrested June 16 2009)
Majzoubi(University Professor at Bualisina University in Hamedan arrested June 13 2009)
Hossein Reisian( university Professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin arrested June 21 2009)

Journalists

Bahman Ahmadi Amoui( journalist arrested 21 June)
Mahsa Amraiee (Journalist arrested 14 June)
Karim Arghandehpour (reporter for pro-reform newspapers Salam Vaghieh and Afaghieh)
Maziyar Bahari (an Iranian-Canadian dual national journalist and the representative of Newsweek in Iran)
Zhila Baniyaghoub( journalist and editor in charge of the Iranian Women-s Center website arrested 20 June)
Behzad Bashou (Cartoonist arrested 14 June)
Alireza Beheshti Shirazi ( editor in charge of banned daily Kalameh and the website Kalameh Sabz former director of the Iran Participation Front)
Mostafa Ghavanloo Ghajar( arrested 22 June)
Mohammad Ghouchani( journalist and editor in charge of daily Etemad e Meli arrested 18 June)
Mashallah Haydarzadeh( journalist in Boushehr arrested 14 June)
Sayed Khalil Mirashrafi (TV producer arrested 14 June)
Hassan Maadikhah (director of the Zareh Publication and son of Abdolmajid Maadikhah the former Cultural and Guardiance Minister)
Hamideh Mahouri( journalist in Bushehr arrested 14 June)
Rajabali Mazrouiee( head of the Journalists Association arrested 20 June)
Shiva Nazarahari (a member of the Reporters of Human Rights Committee and a journalist arrested 13 June)
Mojtaba Pourmohsen (journalist and Radio Zamaneh-s representative in Rasht arrested 15 June)
Clotilde Reiss (journalist and graduate student at the eminent Lille Political Sciences Institute June 2009)
Kayvan Samimi Behbahani (editor in chief of the closed monthly Nameh and human rights activist arrested 14 June)
Rohollah Shahsavar( journalist was arrested in Mashhad arrested 17 June)
Amanolah Shojaiee( journalist in Bushehr arrested 14 June)
Hossein Shokouhia( journalist in Bushehr arrested 14 June)
Fariborz Soroush (arrested in Karaj)
Abdolreza Tajik( journalist arrested 14 June)
Somayeh Touhidlou( sociologist and blogger in the Road of Health)
Mahsa Amrabadi (journalist and blogger in Tehran arrested 14 June)
Masoud Bastani ( journalist in Tehran arrested 5 July )
Issa Saharkhiz (Journalist Tehran arrested 4 July)
Kambiz Norouzi (Journalist Tehran arrested on 28 June )
Sima Didar (Blogger and activist)
Mehdi Zaboli (Photographer , arrested date :unknown)
Tohid Beygi (Photographer , arrested date :unknown)
Majid Saeedi (Photographer , arrested date :unknown)
Satiar Emami (Photographer , arrested date :unknown)
Marjan Abdolahian (Photographer , arrested date :unknown)
Kourosh Javan (Photographer , arrested date :unknown)
Saeed Movahedi (Photographer , arrested date :unknown)

Political personalities and members of the reformist presidential candidates campaigns

Ali Abtahi (senior adviser to Karroubi-s Campaign former Deputy of Parliament Office of President Khatami)
Ahmad Afjeiee( member of the Freedom Movement of Iran)
Hedayatollah Aghaiee( a member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi party)
Maryam Ameri( member of Karroubi-s Campaign)
Mohsen Aminzadeh (a founding member of the Iran Participation Front and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in Khatami-s cabinet on June 16)
Hojatollah Amiri( in Tabriz)
Amir Ariazand (member of the Iran Participation Front)
Reza Arjaini (member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan)
Mohammad Atrianfar( a leading member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi Party and journalist arrested 16 June)
Ehsan Bagheri( member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran)
Emad Bahavand( member of the Freedom Movement of Iran)
Jalal Bahrami (member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan)
Mehrdad Balafkan( member of the Iran Participation Front)
Mehrdad Balafkan (member of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization in Isfahan)
Mohsen Bastani (member of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization in Isfahan)
Qorban Behzadinejad (director of Mir-Houssein Moussavi-s campaign arrested on 24 June)
Adel Dehdashti( member of the Iran Participation Front)
Mahmoud Ebrahimi (member of the Iran Participation Front)
Javad Emam (a member of Tehran branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization)
Hojat Esmaieli( a member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization)
Naseh Faridi (member of Karroubi-s Campaign)
Ghafar Farzadi( in Tabriz)
Laya Farzadi (in Tabriz)
Bagher Fathali Baygi( member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan)
Mansour Ghafari( in Tabriz)
Hamzeh Ghalebi (member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran)
Siamand Ghiyasi (member of Karroubi-s Campaign in Kermanshah)
Saeed Hajarian( a senior adviser to reformists a journalist)
Payam Haydar Ghazvini (student in Gazvin)
Amir Hossein Jahani( in Tabriz)
Dadizadeh( in Tabriz)
Ghafarzadeh( in Tabriz)
Panahi( in Tabriz)
Seyflou( in Tabriz)
Shabeti (in Tabriz)
Shamlu (in Tabriz)
Soltaniazad (in Tabriz)
Hamed Iranshahi( member of the Central Council of Advar organization arrested June 16)
Majid Jabari( in Tabriz)
Mohammad Jafari (member of Karroubi-s Campaign in Kermanshah)
Mohammadreza Jalaieepour (a student in Oxford and in charge of the website of the youth branch of the Iran Participation Front arrested June 17 in Tehran Airport)
Bahram Kardan( member of the Iran Participation Front)
Mojtaba Khandan( member of the Freedom Movement of Iran)
Morteza Khani( member of Karroubi-s Campaign)
Jahanbakhsh Khanjani (a member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi Party and former spokesperson for the Internal Affairs Ministry in Khatami-s presidency)
Mehdi Khodadadi( in Tabriz)
Ebrahim Khoshchehreh (a political activist in Lahijan and member of National Religious Activits arrested 21 June)
Saeed Laylaz( prominent economist and Journalist arrested June 17)
Ali Mehrdad (member of the Freedom Movement of Iran)
Fatahi( member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran)
Homaiee (member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran)
Nikkhah (member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran)
Zakeri( member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran)
Mahdian Minavi( member of the Iran Participation Front)
Mohsen Mirdamadi (General Secretary of the Iranian Participation Front and former parliamentarian disappeared on 17 June)
Ali Mohaghar( a member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi party)
Ashkan Mojaleli( member of the Iran Participation Front)
Abdolah Momeni (member of the central council of the Advar organization and its spokesperson arrested 21 June)
Behzad Nabavi (a founding member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization arrested 16 June)
Hesam Nasiri (member of the Moussavi-s Campaign in Tehran)
Farhad Nasrollahpour (member of the Iran Participation Front)
Shahin Nourbakhsh( member of the Iran Participation Front)
Saeed Nourmohammadi (member of the Iran Participation Front)
Bagher Oskouiee (member of Karroubi-s Campaign)
Baghier Oskouiee( leading official in Karroubi-s campaign arrested 16 June)
Abbas Pourazhari (in Tabriz)
Ali Pourkhayri (member of the Iran Participation Front)
Rhdah Rahimipour (in Tabriz)
Mojtaba Rajabi (student in Gazvin)
Abdollah Ramezanzadeh (Vice president of the Iran Front Participation coordinator of the reformist campaign in Kurdistan and former government spokes person during Khatami-s presidency)
Atar Rashidi (student in Gazvin)
Sadegh Rasouli (member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan)
Mohammad Reza Ahmadinia (member of the Freedom Movement of Iran)
Ahad Rezaiee (member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan)
Nasim Riahi (student in Gazvin)
Mohsen Rouzbehan (member of Moussavi Campaign in Khorasan)
Mohsen Safaiee Farahani ( member of the Iran Front Participation and the head of its Implementation Board and former president of the Football Federation)
Rouholah Sahraee( member of the Freedom Movement of Iran)
Musa Saket( a member of the Advar Tahkim Vahdat and in charge of the campaign seeking supporters of Karroubi arrested 18 June)
Kaveh Servati (member of Moussavi Campaign arrested 20 June)
Rouholah Shahsavar( member of Moussavi Campaign in Khorasan)
Jalil Sharabianlu (a prominent MD and surgeon in Tabriz)
Saeed Shirkvand( member of Central Council of Iran Participation Front and former Deputy of Treasury in Khatami-s cabinet)
Mohammad Shokuhi (member of the Iran Participation Front)
Davoud Solaymani (a member of the Central Committee of the Iran Participation Front and former parliamentarian)
Abdolfatah Soltani (a human rights lawyer and one of the founding members of the Human Rights Defenders Center as well as a member of Executive Board of the Bar Association arrested 16 June)
Khoshchehreh (Son of Ebrahim Khoshchehreh was arrested in Lahijan on 21 June)
Shahabobdin Tabatabaiee( the head of the Youth Supporters of the Moussavi Campaign)
Ali Taghipour (member of the Iran Participation Front)
Ali Tajernia( a member of the Central Committee of the Iran Participation Front and former parliamentarian)
Mostafa Tajzadeh (a member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization arrested on 13 June)
Mohammad Tavasoli (director of the political office of the Freedom Movement in Iran and first Mayor of Tehran after the 1979 Revolution arrested 16 June)
Mansour Vafa (member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan)
Maysam Varahchehre( member of the Iran Participation Front)
Ali Waghfi (member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran)
Mehdi Yarbahrami( in Tabriz)
Rahim Yawari( In Tabriz)
Hanieh Yousefian
Kuroush Zaieem (a member of the Central Council of the Iran National Front arrested 21 June)
Hossein Zaman( a well-known pop singer whose works have been banned from State controlled Radio and Television because of his support for the reformist movement)
Ahmad Zaydabadi (general secretary of the Advar organization and journalist arrested June 13)
Saeed Zeraatkar (member of the Freedom Movement of Iran)
Ayda Mesbahi(member of Mosharekat front arrested 22 June)
Hossien Ezat Zadeh (member of central committee, Tehran 21 July)
Asghar Fanni Pour (member of central committee, Tehran 21 July)
Hossien Mojtahedi(member of National Front , Tehran 21 July)
Ali Ghaderi (member of National Front, Tehran 21 July)
Hamid Mojtabaiee(member of National Front, Tehran 21 July)
Ali Ghaderi (member of National Front, Tehran 21 July)
Hossien Riahi (member of National Front, Tehran 21 July)
Mr. Komeilian (member of National Front, Tehran 21 July)

Arrested and Released

Amin Afzali (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories midnight on June 14 and released later)
Ahmad Ahmadian (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later)
Reza Alijani (political figure arrested 14 June and released the day after)
Vahid Anari (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later)
Ebrahim Azizi (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later)
Mohammad Bolourdi (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later)
Siavash Fiaz (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later)
Mohsen Habibi (Mazaheri student)
Navid Haghdadi (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later)
Hossein Hamedi (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later)
Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani (and her daughter and two other members of Rafsanjani-s Family were arrested on 20 June and released after 30 hours)
Sayed Hossein Mirzadeh (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later)
Habib Khadangi( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later)
Zahra Mojaradi (a member of the Iran Participation Front arrested 13 June and released on 14 June)
Hossein Noubakht( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later)
Kazem Rahimi Olume( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later)
Taghi Rahmani (political figure and journalist arrested 14 June and released the day after)
Mohammad Reza Hokmi (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later)
Mohammad Reza Khatami (member of the Central Committee of Iran Participation Front, brother of former president Khatami)
Morteza Rezakhani( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released late)
Hoda Saberi (journalist arrested 14 June and released the day after)
Amin Samiee (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later)
Bahram Shaabani (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later)
Saeed Shariati (a member of the Iranian Participation Front arrested 13 June and released on 14 June)
Alireza Shaykhi( student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later)
Eskandari (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later)
Javad Yazdanfar (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later)
Ebrahim Yazdi( General Secretary of the Iran Liberation Movement arrested June 14 from the Pars Hospital in Tehran and was taken back to the hospital on June 15 for further surgery)
Maysam Zareiee (student was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later)
Bita Samimi (22 years old , Physics student and activist at Amirkabir Uni ,arrested 27 June and released 5 July )
Hossein Rassam (44 years old, UK embassy worker arrested on 27 June ,unknown date released)
Iason Athanasiadis (30 years old , arrested at airport on 22 June and released 5 July)
Mehdi Khaz’ali (44 years old, son of Ayatollah Khaz’ali, arrested on 29 June, released 21July)
Majid Dori (an expelled student at Alameh Tabatabaiee University in Tehran was violently arrested on 21 June in his home , released on 9 July)
Mitra Farahani (34 years old , filmmaker living in Paris , arrested 17 June and released 30 June)
Zeynab Peighambarzadeh (27 years old , Women’s and student rights activist ,Tehran arrested 6 July ,released 7 July)

Human Rights, Students' Rights, and Women's Rights Activists and Lawyers

Mohammad Ali Dadkhah (Human rights activist and lawyer Tehran arrested 8 July)
Shadi Sadr (Lawyer , human rights activist and journalist in Tehran arrested 17 July)
Kaveh Mozaffari (Women rights activist and journalist Tehran arrested 9 July)
Abolfazl Abedini (Head of PR for Human rights activist and journalist Ahvaz arrested 30 June)
Peyman Aref (Student activist arrested 6 July)

Missing people

Hooman Fakhar (32 years old ,worked for Mousavi campaign ,reportedly taken away by police)
Hooman Haghighat (24 years old , unheard of since 17 June)
Hasan Kazemini(19 years old Tehran)

Recent Arrests

Bijan Khajehpour(42 years old ,Business and economic consultant ,arrested at airport 27 June)
Dr. Hossein Sheikh Aghai (Cartoonist ,Mahabad)
Taher Faramarzi (Head of machinery spare parts union,Mahabad)
Karim Sufi Moloudi (author ,Mahabad)
Jafar Vahab Pour (Head of Kaveh union Area artifacts Board,Mahabad)
Hasan Atash Poush (Mahabad)
Soleiman Parviz Khani (Shopkeeper,Mahabad)
Javad Sedighifar (29 years old ,Tehran arrested 20 June)
Mohammad Kazem Zadeh (24 years old Tehran arrested 9 July)
Farhad Lashgari (26 years old Tehran arrested 9 July)
Jalil Nourifar (30 years old Tehran arrested 25 June)
Mohammad Hossien Vosoughi (32 years old Tehran arrested 17 July)
Amin Moghbeli (25 years old Tehran , arrested on 9 July )
Salar Najjar Zadeh (31 years old ,Tehran, arrested on 9 July)
Arash Mohammadi (27 years old.Tehran arrested 20 June)

The Latest from Iran (21 July): No Lull in the Cycle of Protest

The Latest from Iran (22 July): “The Pendulum Swings” Towards Opposition

NEW Iran Video: The Protests Continue (21 July)
NEW Iran Video: Ahmadinejad Failure in Mashaad? (17 July)
The Latest from Iran (20 July): How Far Can This Go?

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2200 GMT: Press TV jumps in on the debate over the choice of Iran's 1st Vice President, and it is siding with the Supreme Leader rather than President Ahmadinejad:

A senior Iranian parliamentarian says the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has advised the president to reverse his decision in appointing Esfandyar Rahim-Masha'i as his top deputy.

"Without any delay, the removal or acceptance of Masha'i's resignation must be announced by the president," Mohammad-Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard, the first Majlis [Parliament] vice speaker, told the Iranian Students News Agency on Tuesday....The removal of Rahim-Masha'i from key positions and presidential deputies is the collective decision of the political establishment.”

1930 GMT: No confirmed reports on whether the "power overload" protest scheduled for 9 p.m. local time (1630 GMT) succeeded in causing blackouts, although there were unconfirmed claims that parts of Tehran, Karaj, and Qazvin lost power.

1910 GMT: The pro-Green Movement website Mowj-e-Sabz confirms that, in addition to Sunday's demonstrations in Tehran and Shiraz, there were sizable protests in Tabriz.

1900 GMT: A source expands on our post about Hashemi Rafsanjani's sharp response today to Ayatollah Khamenei:

Rafsanjani's website has recently posted a part of his memoirs that can be interpreted as a retort to Khameini's not so well concealed threats. The key section of this posting is as follows:

"An individual must not be intimidated by anything in this world. Whenever an individual faces a test it is insufficient to only have good intentions and unacceptable to limit oneself to empty slogans and claims. Each generation faces a test and challenge and the greatest test a man faces is when because of his love to god he is asked to sacrifice his spouse, his children and his capital. One must be brave."

Rafsanjani's website concludes the preceding paragraph with the following commentary: "The ironclad strength of these words indicate that the young Rafsanjani in his "struggle for the rights of people", had been well schooled by the great Khomeini on how to move beyond fear."

1845  GMT: We've posted the first video from today's protests in a separate entry.

1745 GMT: A Showdown between Ahmadinejad and Khamenei? Yes, you read that right. A source confirms our report (1600 GMT) that the Supreme Leader has ordered the President to force the resignation of his Vice President, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai. However, an update claims that Ahmadinejad has insisted in an interview that the VP will remain in office: "Rahim-Mashai is a great supporter of the Islamic Regime, is a great believer in the principle of supreme leadership, leads a simple life and has served the public with distinction. He has been chosen as a VP and will continue to serve."

1740 GMT: I apologise for this morning's inaccurate headline, "A Lull in the Cycle of Protest". It has now been changed.

1730 GMT: BBC English has decided that maybe, just maybe, it should be paying attention to Iran again. I am listening to a report from Jon Leyne, who had been evicted from the country, has been brought back to say, "The pendulum could be swinging back to the opposition." He adds that he has heard from a source inside Iran that "defiance is growing". He concludes, "The system has been badly damaged by this....This is a country in the throes of change." The BBC website is also reporting that "hundreds, even thousands" of people protested.

1700 GMT: Reports, as with previous protests, that cellphone service cut in central Tehran. Claims that Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting facilities surrounded by special forces as crowds chant slogans.

1600 GMT: According to Parleman News, the Supreme Leader ordered President Ahmadinejad to remove his choice as Vice President, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, who is also the father of Ahmadinejad's daughter-in-law: “Without any delay, the dismissal order or Mashaei’s resignation must be announced by the President.” (NIAC Insight has an English summary.)

1550 GMT: Al Arabiya, citing "a witness", is now headlining, "Iran police clash with protesters", with hundreds at 7 Tir Square and dozens detained: "The witness said the protesters were chanting slogans against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the government, including 'Ahmadinejad -- resign, resign' and 'Death to the dictator'.

1510 GMT: Reports that protests are building in Tehran, particularly near 7 Tir Square. Reuters is first "mainstream" agency to report clashes with security forces.

1440 GMT: Reports of clashes between demonstrators and security forces at Vali-e Asr Square in Tehran and Cinema Saadi Cross in Shiraz. People have moved to 7 Tir Square Square, but claims of attacks with tear gas as security forces hold the squares.

1430 GMT: The text of the letter addressed to the Speaker of the Parliament, Ali Larijani by two pro-Mousavi advisors --- Bijan Zanganeh, Minister of Petroleum in the Khatami Government and Moussavi's liason with Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, and Abbas Akhoondi, a prominent Professor of Law at Tehran University and Mousavi's liason with the Guardian Council --- with a "fundamental framework of the proposed solution" has now been posted on the Internet.

The letter was sent on 20 June but only released on Sunday (see our updates on 19 July for a summary).

1400 GMT: The Ultimate Enemy - More on the denunciation of the Khatami call for referendum by Kayhan editor Hossein Shariatmadari (see 1130 GMT). Shariatmadari has claimed the proposal has the "same instructions as Michael Ledeen, read the CIA" have proposed for regime change in Tehran. Ledeen, a rabid critic of the Iranian system who pressed for military action to overthrow it in 2003, is based at the American Enterprise Institute.

1130 GMT: Holding the Line. "Conservative" newspapers have denounced the call by former President Khatami and the Assocation of Combatant Clergy for a referendum on the legitimacy of the Government. Hossein Shariatmadari, appointed by the Supreme Leader as the managing director of Kayhan, echoed Ayatollah Khamenei's "foreign intervention" theme, "They have suggested yet another Western plot to raise havoc by proposing a referendum. The main idea of this plan is to trigger tension. Their proposal is illegal and impractical." An editorial in Khabar asserted, "Such controversial proposals, despite their appeal to protestors... challenge the basis of the system. A referendum would create challenges which our country cannot harbour and it would incite unrest instead of building confidence."

1010 GMT: Reports that today's march, commemorating a 1952 rally for the Government of Mohammad Mossadegh, will take place at 3 p.m. local time (1030 GMT) from Rezaie Square to Mossadegh's tomb.

1000 GMT: The chief of Iran's police, Esmail Ahmadi-Moghaddam, has accused the opposition of "inciting sedition" and declared his force would act firmly to uphold the law. "Some people who failed to realize their election goal go on spreading doubt in different ways and then turn that ... into inciting sedition," Esmail Ahmadi-Moghaddam said. "This group of individuals voice the slogan of law abidance but they themselves do not observe the law ... they are sheer liars."

0945 GMT: The Battle is On, Round Two. No more questions, as in the first weeks of the post-election conflict, as to whether Hashemi Rafsanjani will work only behind the scenes. The former President has taken on the Supreme Leader's Monday speech, writing in a quote from his memoirs, "There is a test for every generation. People's issues are the most important test for this one."

0645 GMT: More on Mousavi meeting with detainees' families (see 0500 GMT). A valued source sends in these quotes from the opposition leader:

[Connecting the arrested with foreign governments] is a defensive tactic employed by individuals that that are threatened by [the idea] of people being free. This [fictititious] connection only serves as a pretext and justification, but everyone knows what these arrests are really about. Our people know that these arrested individuals have gentle and impressive personalities that have served this establishment for many years and it would be impossible to believe that any of them will sell National Interests to foreigners.....[These allegations] are an insult to the public's vote and their intelligence and will have its unsavory consequences.

The Iranian people saw corruption in the election process and sponteneously rallied to defend their rights. This wave of indignation will not be quenched by thousands or even ten thousands of arrests....We are stating that what has happened is against the law and against the ideals of the revolution and against the constitution and against the will of the people.

A government that establishes itself by hook or crook will be a weak government. It will be a government that will give major concessions to foreign governments, because it lacks popular support. Returning people's trust [to government] has an extremely high priority for us, because a loss of this trust may have serious consequences for our country."

[Upholding] individual freedoms of the people has a can ensure the security of society in a much more positive way than security crackdowns with wooden and metal clubs, in fact these crackdowns compromise the security of our country. Our people are much more mature [to deserve] a regression to pre-revolutionary unacceptable methods.

0635 GMT: Keeping It in the Family. President Ahmadinejad may have been rebuffed in his attempt to name the father of his daughter-in-law as a Vice President, but Mowj-e-sabz claims that Ahmadinejad's son-in-law Mehdi Khorshidi will be the head Presidential Secretary, and the husband of Ahmadinejad's sister-in-law will be the head of the Iranian national youth organization.

0625 GMT: An intriguing follow-up reports on Sunday's demonstrations in Shiraz (see video in our updates for 19 July) in the Ehsan ampitheatre. The website Mowj-e-sabz claims that this rally, "a gathering of the election campaign managers of Mousavi and Karroubi", is the "first official gathering of the reformists after the elections and it also is the first gathering of the reformers that has a permit".

Given that the Government has not given a permit for demonstration in Tehran since 15 June, apart from the Beheshti memorial at Qoba mosque on 28 June, this rally was likely to have received permission from provincial officials. So who are they and will they now face retribution from the regime?

0600 GMT: There are reports that protestors will turn out on the streets today, linking the demonstration to one on the same day in 1952 in support of the nationalist Government of Mohammad Mossadegh.

0500 GMT: The crisis in Iran has now "settled", if that word can be used, into a rhythm in which a prominent show of opposition is followed by a regime reaction and then a few days of quiet. Friday's address by Hashemi Rafsanjani brought a response from the Supreme Leader yesterday, and this morning both sides are taking a step back to assess the position. The one scheduled event for today is the "power overload" protest for 9 p.m. local time, with demonstrators hoping to black out the national news by switching on electrical appliances.

Josh Shahryar's "Green Brief" summarises one notable development, the meeting of Mir Hossein Mousavi with families of detainees. The opposition leader is using these occasions not only to show support for the detained and their relatives but also to indicate that protest has not ebbed and to set out political positions. Yesterday he said the Green Movement was peaceful but was ready to make sacrifices, declaring, “The Iranian Nation had matured and that the use of pre-1979 tactics wouldn’t be enough to silence it....The Nation had been reborn and was going to defend its achievements.”

Mousavi asked the government to ensure freedom of speech and condemned ongoing arrests. And, in a rebuttal to the line of the Supreme Leader, he said it was “an insult to the Iranian Nation to suggest that foreigners had orchestrated the post-election protests in Iran".

Mousavi's Facebook page also continues to be an active location to challenge the Government. This morning it has countered an appearance by the Iranian Foreign Minister, declaring, "WE ARE THE MEDIA!" It is featuring the call by the Association of Combatant Clergy for a referendum on the legitimacy of the Government (see yesterday's updates), and it is highlighting a video, which allegedly shows a lack of public turnout for President Ahmadinejad's appearance in Mashaad on Friday (see separate entry).

LATEST Iran Video: Ahmadinejad Failure in Mashaad? (16 July)

The Latest from Iran (21 July): The Lull in the Cycle of Protest

Receive our latest updates by email or RSS- SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEEDUPDATE 22 July: Another small video twist: this new footage popped up today, claiming to show a protest against Ahmadinejad's appearance in Mashaad:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePTj_w6qrfU[/youtube]

This video surfaced last night. Activists claim it shows the lack of support for President Ahmadinejad's appearance in Mashaad, which came the day before Hashemi Rafsanjani's leadership of prayers in Tehran.

Given the limited quality of the film, and given possibilities for manipulation, we are cautious about the conclusions, but Mir Hossein Mousavi's campaign is now featuring this to question the legimitacy of the Government.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6biC1n7GfDE[/youtube]

A reader (see comments below) has pointed us to evidence that Ahmadinejad's speech was heard by a large audience. The footage is from Press TV, who said in a story on the speech, "Ahmadinejad criticizes opposition to Iran vote", that the President spoke "to thousands of people":

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5C7HwtNByQ[/youtube]

The Latest from Iran (20 July): How Far Can This Go?

NEW Iran Video: Cleric Tabatabai Criticises Ahmadinejad on State TV (20 July)
NEW Iran: The Supreme Leader Responds
LATEST Iran Video: The Rafsanjani Prayer Address (17 July)
Iran: Pressure on the Supreme Leader?

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1945 GMT: Dr Mehdi Khazali, manager of the publication Hayan, has been released from detention. Khazali, the son of Grand Ayatollah Abulghasem Khazali, a member of the Assembly of Experts, is a strident critic of President Ahmadinejad, whom has accused of having Jewish roots.

1915 GMT: Speaking on a programme on state television, an Iranian cleric, Hojatoleslam Seyed Mehdi Tabatabai, criticised President Ahmadinejad's televised post-election speech on 13 June as "inflammatory".


1645 GMT: Following up this morning's story on possible challenges to the Supreme Leader, we've posted a summary and analysis of the Supreme Leader's address to officials and citizens this afternoon. Press TV's summary leaves no doubt about Khamenei's target: "The remarks come several days after renewed protests emerged on Friday when influential cleric and politician Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani led prayers attended by hundreds of thousands of people at Tehran University."

1535 GMT: Where is Bijan Khajehpour? At The Huffington Post, the prominent US-based analyst Trita Parsi highlights the case of the economist who was arrested on arrival at a Tehran airport on 27 June. Because Khajehpour has taught at American as well as Iranian universities and advised companies in Europe, he may prove an "exceptional" detainee for the Western media, despite the fears of his family that "they fear the world will forget about him because they never knew his face and never heard his story".

1520 GMT: Mehdi Karroubi has just posted an account of his treatment by security forces as he arrived at Tehran University for Friday prayers (pictured). The English translation from Keeping the Change:

When the crowds saw me driving past, they came towards me and followed me as I continued the drive to Tehran University. As we came closer to the University I saw that government forces, armed and seated on motocycles, had gathered and were spraying tear gas into the surrounding area. I knew that if the crowds of people following me proceeded further there would be a violent clash with the state's security forces, just as there had been at the Ghoba Mosque on the anniversary of the martydom of Ayatollah Beheshti [June 28, 2009]. For this reason, I signaled to the crowd to disperse and indicated to them that I would proceed to the Friday prayers alone. Even though I usually drive through the University to the prayer hall, on this occassion I chose to leave the car. Other than members of the government's security team, I did not see anyone else there. As soon as I got out of the car, these men began chanting "Death to the Opponents of Velayate Faghi [the Iranian system of ultimate clerical authority]", which caught me off guard. Though at this time there were no other witnesses around, as everyone has seen, the different pictures proving that the security forces attacked me and knocked the turban off my head have been published. So how do they [the government] think they can hide the things they have done to the people or that they can blame these incidents on others? All the things they have done have taken place before the eyes of the people.

1500 GMT: Overloading the System. For some time, we have been hearing of plans for a co-ordinated protest tomorrow to "black out" Tehran by overloading the electrical grid. The tactic was used with some effect to curb President Ahmadinejad's television address two weeks ago; the proposal is to make a symbolic protest at 9 p.m. tomorrow at the start of the national news. Activists have been posting details on which appliances consume the most energy.

A reader points out why this call to action goes beyond similar proposals: it has been endorsed on Mir Hossein Mousavi's Facebook site.

1230 GMT:  The Touchstone of Detentions. More evidence that, while the protest movement may not be settled on its aims, it can draw unity from the regime's refusal to free those arrested in post-election conflict. Mosharekat website reports a statement by Mir Hossein Mousavi that protests will not end while the Government detains demonstrators and opposition leaders:

Isn't it an insult to 40 million voters ... linking detainees to foreign countries? ... Our dear ones in prison have no access to lawyers and are under pressure to make confessions ... With detentions the issue (row) will not be resolved ... Let people freely express their protests and ideas.

0930 GMT: Via IranRevolution, a list of 158 "Revolution Martyrs", including 46 names.

0920 GMT: The formation of Mousavi's Political Front is entering the tug-of war phase. Legally, the formation of a political front does not require official permission from the Interior Ministry; however, the reformist site Mardomak reports that the ministry is asserting that the formation of all parties, societies and fronts must have a permit from the Interior Ministry.

Mardomak also reports that the provincial governor of Tehran as said that "releasing the detainees is against the law".

0915 GMT: Confirming news that broke on Sunday: Hossein Rasam, the last local staffer of the British Embassy held by the Iranian government, was released from custody after he posted bail.

0730 GMT: The Association of Combatant Clergy, associated with Mohammad Khatami, have amplified the call for a referendum on the post-election legimitacy of the Government: "Considering the fact that even a minimum of trust towards the election process is non-existent, .......[we] demand a free referendum so that all of Iranian society can express their opinions about  the post election events." The statement adds an unsubtle slap at the Guardian Council, insisting the referendum be supervised by "impartial observers that are trusted by the public, not bodies that are responsible for this crisis".

0545 GMT: Sunday saw more political manoeuvres, both symbolic and very real, as the opposition tried to assess how far it could press its challenge.

One symbolic and real victory came with the announcement that the father of President Ahmadinejad's daughter-in-law, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, had declined his appointment as Vice-President. (Well, possibly. Mainstream media have not caught up but, as we updated last night, Rahim-Mashai wrote on his website that he had not resigned. At a minimum, the episode points to confusion in the President's ranks.)

However, the deputy to the Supreme Leader's representative in the Revolutionary Guards tried to hold the line, claiming that many prominent politicians have been "engaged in treacherous intrigue". He included former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, former President Mohammad Khatami, Mehdi Karroubi, and Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Despite the warning, Rafsanjani received headline coverage in Iranian media for his pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashaad. Mousavi, following Karroubi, issued a statement expressing condolences to Armenia and to the Armenian-Iranian community over last week's air crash that killed 168 people.

At the practical level, Khatami called for a national referendum on the conduct of the 12 June election. Even more intriguing is Khatami's meeting with Minister of Intelligence Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejeie --- no information about this discussion is available yet.