Reformist Leaders Threatened with Assassination

Following massive popular protests in Iran on the religious and usually peaceful day of Ashura, official security and military sources in the nation and other supporters of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have made statements condemning the popular protests for “defying the Ashura day” and calling on the judiciary to firmly punish the “leaders of the disturbances.”  “Leaders of disturbances” is a phrase used by government supporters to refer to Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karoubi and Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, who are the recognized leaders of the reform movement in Iran.  

In this connection, the Islamic Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) yesterday released a statement referring to the massive Ashura protests as “defiance by disturbers beholden to foreigners and foreign enemies,” adding, “The new line of conspiracy and disturbance has neared its end and its planners and organizers must sooner or later pay the price of insulting the holy beliefs of the Iranian nation.”  In its statement, which became headline news for official state news agencies, the IRGC calls on the judiciary to undertake a “firm, resolute and exemplary confrontation of disturbers and those defying Ashura day without any hesitation.”  

In addition to the IRGC, the Guardian Council, which played a significant role in bringing about the present crisis by confirming the results of the presidential election and ignoring complaints from Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karoubi and even Mohsen Rezaei, issued a statement yesterday asking the judiciary and other officials to suppress the disturbances.

In its statement, the Guardian Council referred to Tehran protesters on the Ashura day as a “group of anti-religious and disturbing” individuals,” who “engaged in coordinated and organized destructive activities to please global imperialism and media outlets beholden to international Zionists.”  

The authors of the statement write at the end of the writing that the Guardian Council “asks those in charge to identify the agents and perpetrators of these evil events and confront them firmly and resolutely.”  

Meanwhile, a large number of prominent supporters of Ahmadinejad’s administration in the Majlis and other institutions made statements about the popular protests on Ashura day and called for the arrest of Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi.  

Ahmad Alamolhoda, Mashad’s Friday prayer leader, referred to the “Green Movement” as the “green conspiracy” and called on the judiciary to prosecute reformist leaders.  

Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash, a member of the Majlis national security committee, said, “Mousavi supported the Mojahedin Khalgh Organization early in the revolution and is now going down the same path as the leader of that group.”  This Ahmadinejad supporter in the Majlis added, “Today, the United States and Israel are at the helm of the conspiracy and control the leaders of this conspiracy, moving them to whatever direction they wish.  Mousavi, Karoubi and Khatami are led this way and that way by them.”  

He then criticized the judiciary, noting that “People cannot tolerate these issues, and the judiciary must respond to lawmakers and the people and exist the stage of passivism,” and adding, “If the judiciary does not confront them, people and lawmakers will enter the scene and firmly confront them.”  

Jafar Shajouei, member of the conservative Association of Combative Clergy, who had previously said, “We will decapitate the opponents if the leader orders us to,” noted that “The judiciary must firmly confront the agents of disturbances on Ashura day,” adding, “I believe that people can treat offenses against the regime by following the model of Navab Safavi.”

Navab Safavi was the leader of the terrorist group “Fadayian of Islam,” which claimed responsibility in the 1950s for several assassinations in Iran.