Coup Perpetrators Insist on Intensifying Security Atmosphere

While at their latest meeting last Friday Mir-Hossein Mousavi and seyed Mohammad Khatami called for ending the imposition of a “security atmosphere” on the country and warned about the destructive impact of the “continuation of the current unpleasant situation, particularly the continuation of arrests, curtailment of fundamental freedoms in violation of the constitution, ethical and religious norms, and the airing of accusations and insults continue.”  

Mousavi and Khatami issue their latest warning while a security atmosphere has dominated Iran for the past four months.  Government measures imposing this have included the killing of protesters, the detention of more than 4,000 protesters (according to the judiciary’s spokesperson), the closure of newspapers Yas-e No, Seday-e Edalat, Etemad Melli, Arman, Farhang-e Ashti, Tahlil-e Rooz and Kalameye Sabz, filtering of critical websites, the arrest of prominent reformist activists and journalists (which is continuing), televised broadcast of detainee confessions against themselves and others, issuance of death sentences for several protesters, daily threats of arrest against opposition candidates (Mehdi Karoui and Mousavi), and daily political statements by military commanders.

Government Supporters Want to Expand Violence
While moderate figures in the Islamic republic such as ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, and even prominent figures from the ruling establishment such as ayatollahs Mahdavi Kani, Makarem Shirazi, Mohammad Reza Bahonar and many others have presented or promoted plans for national unity, administration supporters continue on the imposition of a “security atmosphere” through their threatening and violent remarks.

Daily Threats from Military Commanders
The remarks of the administration’s spiritual supporters and groups within the ruling faction seeking violence are made while, since before the June 12 presidential election, officers and commanders from the Islamic Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Basij, which played the main role in suppressing post-election protests, repeatedly interfered in political affairs, accusing the protesters of “seeking to overthrow and oppose the regime,” “preparing for a velvet revolution,” “conspiracy with foreigners” and “elimination of supreme leader.”  According to many Iranian politicians, such interference in political affairs has been unprecedented in the Islamic Republic’s history.  

In this connection, Yadollah Javani, who heads the IRGC’s political bureau, introduced a plan to arrest reformists and the opposition candidates.  He wrote, “If Mousavi, Khatami, Khoiniha and Karoubi are the main agents of a velvet revolution in Iran, which they are, the expectation is that the judiciary and security apparatus would arrest, try and prosecute them in accordance with the law as the main fires behind this conspiracy. “

Shortly after Javani’s remarks, the IRGC’s chief, Mohammad Ali Jafari, made statements based on the confessions of some detainees, calling for confronting opposition candidates and the arrest of reformist leaders.