">Forum Views ()
">Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Iran opposition leader defiant amid pressure to back down
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
Yahoo! Search
Search:
Sign InNew User? Sign Up
News Home -
Help
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Search
Search:
Iran opposition leader defiant amid pressure to back down
AFP - Friday, June 26
TEHRAN (AFP) - - Defeated challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi vowed on Thursday to resist what he said he was huge pressure to end his campaign to overturn Iran's presidential election.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ignoring an international outcry over the post-election unrest gripping Iran, victorious incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told US counterpart Barack Obama to stop meddling in the affairs of the Islamic republic.
But a top dissident cleric warned Iran's rulers that their suppression of opposition protests could threaten the very foundations of the Islamic regime, which is grappling with the biggest upheaval since the 1979 revolution.
Mousavi insisted he would not be cowed by threats but said he was under pressure to withdraw his demand that the authorities cancel the results of an election he says was a "shameful fraud" marred by widespread irregularities.
"I won't refrain from securing the rights of the Iranian people ... because of personal interests and the fear of threats," the one-time premier said in a statement on his newspaper website, Kalemeh.
"My access to people is completely restricted," he said, complaining about restrictions such as the closure of newspapers and problems at his websites.
Reports on Thursday said authorities had rounded up more than 140 Mousavi supporters, political activists, journalists and university lecturers since the disputed election.
Eight members of Iran's Basij Islamic militia are among 20 people who have been killed in the violence that erupted after the June 12 election, state-owned English-language Press TV said on its website.
Other state media previously said 17 civilians had died but there is no independent confirmation of the toll, as foreign media are barred from the streets.
Iran is blaming Western powers for stoking the unrest, with the regime insisting it will not back down over the vote and the regime's security forces moving swiftly to crush any public protests.
"I hope you (Obama) will avoid interfering in Iran's affairs," Ahmadinejad said, accusing the US leader of using words similar to those of his predecessor George W. Bush, who took a hard line against the Islamic republic.
President Obama has made diplomatic overtures towards Iran, after three decades of severed ties and a standoff with the international community over Tehran's nuclear drive.
But he has been increasingly critical of the election's conduct and said he was "appalled and outraged" at the crackdown on protesters.
On Thursday, the White House accused Ahmadinejad of trying to scapegoat the United States for Iran's political crisis.
But Russia, which has refused to criticise Iran over the post-election violence, took issue with Western governments as foreign ministers of the Group of Eight most industrialised nations gathered in Italy.
"Isolating Iran is the wrong approach," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
The Iranian president also took aim at Britain, saying it and other European countries were led by "a bunch of politically retarded people."
Iran's foreign minister said on Wednesday that he was considering reviewing ties with Britain after the two countries expelled diplomats in tit-for-tat moves.
Iran has expelled the correspondent for the BBC in Tehran, accusing him of "supporting the rioters" and has also arrested a British-Greek and a Iranian-Canadian journalist working for US publications.
The authorities have also spoken of arresting many hundreds of protestors over the unrest, including some people it said had British passports.
Ahmadinejad's latest remarks came after the United States said it would no longer issue invitations for Iranian diplomats to attend July 4 Independence Day parties at US embassies.
Dissent is growing among top figures in Iran, with Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri issuing a new warning to the clerical regime.
"If Iranians cannot talk about their legitimate rights at peaceful gatherings and are instead suppressed, complexities will build up which could possibly uproot the foundations of the government, no matter how powerful," Montazeri said in a statement to AFP.
Once tipped as a possible successor to revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, he called for an "impartial" committee to be set up to resolve the crisis.
At the same time, conservative parliament speaker Ali Larijani and more than 100 MPs stayed away from a victory dinner hosted by Ahmadinejad on Wednesday, press reports said.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has insisted he will not back down over the vote, but has extended until Monday a probe into the election results by the election supervisory body the Guardians Council.
In the face of the crackdown, Mehdi Karroubi, a reformist parliament speaker who came a distant fourth in the election, cancelled a mourning ceremony on Thursday but plans to hold it next week, his party website said.
A large force of riot police and Basij militiamen stopped a crowd of several hundred people trying to assemble outside parliament on Wednesday, according to a witness.
Despite the restrictions on foreign media, images of police brutality have spread worldwide via amateur video over the Internet.
Mousavi has urged supporters to continue protesting but to show restraint to avoid bloodshed, with all opposition demonstrations banned by the authorities.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Sign in to recommend this article »
0 users recommend
Related Articles: World
Police chief and 91 officers detained in MexicoAFP - Friday, June 26
G8 ministers hammering out Iran statementAFP - Friday, June 26
Guantanamo reforms in defense budget: US lawmakerAFP - Friday, June 26
Capitalism, IMF and World Bank under fire at U.NReuters - Friday, June 26
Man opens fire on football game in Italy, 1 deadReuters - Friday, June 26
Enlarge Photo
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Mehr petrochemical facility at the Asaluyeh petrochemical plant, 1,200 kms (746 miles) south of Tehran. Defeated challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi vowed on Thursday to resist what he said he was huge pressure to end his campaign to overturn Iran's presidential election.
Most Popular – World
Viewed
Botox helps Australian stroke victim to walk again
US company makes first batch of swine flu vaccine
Saturn moon may harbour life-giving ocean: study
Sarah Jessica Parker welcomes surrogate twins
Opium-eating wallabies get high, make crop circles
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Community
- Intellectual Property Rights Policy
- Help
Other News on Friday, 26 June 2009 G8 ministers seek firm stance on Iran
Russia orders retrial in Politkovskaya case
UN tribunal sets up Hariri website for tip-offs
Berri elected Lebanon speaker for fifth term
Two alleged ETA members arrested near Paris
Farrah Fawcett dead at 62: O'Neal
NATO to start offensive soon in south Afghanistan
| International
|
Britain's Woolworths relaunches as online store
Hamas leader rejects freak Israel offer of state
| International
|
Steelmaker Corus says could axe up to 2,045 jobs
Indonesian court clears Facebook mum
"20/20" To Air Barbara Walters Exclusive Report On Farrah Fawcett On Thursday
Zimbabwe's Mugabe attacks West on sanctions, aid
| International
|
US economy contraction offers hope of rebound
Expanded Update: Cancer Claims Life Of 'Charlie's Angels' Star
Microsoft, Publicis join forces for online ads
Turbid Jordan trickles the promised land
Swedish court rules out Pirate Bay retrial
Israel gives Abbas forces freer hand in W.Bank cities
Farrah Fawcett Dies Of Cancer At Age 62
Ten dead in Czech floods, central Europe on alert
| International
|
Martina Navratilova Being Sued By Ex Partner
Risks battle rewards as Iraq opens up its oilfields
| International
|
Will.I.Am Releases Statement Regarding His Involvement In Perez Hilton's Alleged Assault
Iran's Mousavi vows threats will not stop him
USAID giving $1 million to Africa climate project
Heidi Klum Sues Internet Trader For Cheapening Her Perfumes On eBay
Jerusalem gay parade ends peacefully
| International
|
Recession, expensive oil slow CO2 growth in 2008
Black Eyes Peas Hold #1 And #2 Spots On Billboard Hot 100
Billy Bob Thornton's Daughter Indicted For Murder Of Baby
EU to help China test carbon capture
Oscar Awards Adds More Nomination Slots For Best Picture
Jonathan Rhys Meyers Arrested In Paris Airport Over Drunken Brawl
No contest plea in pregnant Utah girl's beating
Palm loss narrower than expected, shares leap
| Technology
|
Vietnam asks for support against 'terrorism'
White House hunting for $20B for highways, transit
Microsoft, VivaKi team up in digital and TV advertising
| Technology
|
Major provisions of House climate and energy bill
Cambodian PM warns Thailand in border temple row
Court says strip search of Ariz. teenager illegal
Myanmar links US Suu Kyi swimmer to exile groups
SC gov with family as questions grow over absence
New UN rights envoy to Cambodia pledges 'constructive' talks
Taiwan opposition launches 'Free Chen' campaign
RI club owner in fatal fire case out of prison
Republican Lazio planning run for NY governor
Turkish president Gul meets with China's Hu
Peng edged out in Wimbledon thriller
Napolitano to Europe, Kuwait for terrorism talks
Hong Kong tycoon hoped feng shui could get back husband
Analysis: Why do politicians cheat?
Pakistan PM urges Obama aide to halt drone strikes
Court rules for defendants on crime lab reports
VW mulling stake in Suzuki: report
S.Korea central bank extends FX swap deal with Fed
India's Tata Steel reports 60% drop in profit
PC makers race to comply with China's Web filter
Steelmaker Corus could axe up to 2,045 jobs
Head of India's Infosys quits for gov't post
Patti Blagojevich: Time in jungle 'life altering'
UBS appoints new chief executive for Asia business
Pakistan targets 325 bln rupees in T-bill auctions
Fashion thumbs nose at crisis at Paris men's shows
Elite Indonesia troops tortured Papuans
FACTBOX-Recent comments by Taiwan officials on economy, policy
Farrah Fawcett, 1970s sex symbol, dies aged 62
| Entertainment
|
Forking out a 'Fortuyn' for Dutch politician's artefacts
Sinopec seeks capacity, reserves with Addax bid
Transformers $60.6 million debut topples record
| Entertainment
|
Confed tourists in SAfrica adapt to crime fears
Enter Moscow's answer to Batman
Estefans join Miami Dolphins as minority owners
Attorney General Argues For Leniency For Crack Felons; Considering "Alternatives" To Prison
Expanded Update: Cancer Claims Life Of 'Charlie's Angels' Star
E. Coli Concerns Prompts Colorado Company To Recal 41,000 Pounds Of Beef Shipped To 13 States
Update: South Carolina Voters Say Adulterous Sanford Should Resign
Governor Cautious About Giuliani's Proposed Constitutional Convention For NY Senate Standoff
Homebuilder Lennar Reflects Gloomy State Of Housing Sector As Loss Widens
Obama Honors Imprisoned Cuban Dissidents
Farrah Fawcett Dies Of Cancer At Age 62
Pakistan Demands End To U.S. Air Strikes
U.S. Economy Shows Sign Of Recovery As Q1 GDP Contracts By 5.5%
G8 ministers hammering out Iran statement
Two weeks after: Iran rallies fade, elite split
| International
|
US-TECH Summary
Two weeks after
Texas cricket mogul pleads not guilty to fraud
Doctor flees Iran over Neda killing: report
| International
|
Bomb kills 10, wounds 25 in Baghdad
| International
|
US teens spend more time watching TV than on computer
Analysis: Iran's 2-sided rule _ turban and helmet
Update: Celebrities And Fans Around The World Mourn Michael Jackson's Death
UBS to seek to raise capital by 2.5 billion euros
Few iPhone apps likely to get wide usage: AdMob report
Michael Jackson Passes Away At 50
China intellectuals seek release of dissident
| International
|
Iran opposition leader says he won't give up fight
Pop icon Michael Jackson dead: TMZ.com website
Michael Jackson Hospitalized For Cardiac Arrest
Two killed in first suicide bombing in Pakistan Kashmir
| International
|
Iraqi bombings kill scores ahead of US withdrawal
Third of open ocean sharks face extinction: study
Microsoft, VivaKi team up in digital and TV advertising
Hulk Hogan's Ex-Wife Responds To Hairdresser's Drug Allegations
Microsoft unveils Windows 7 prices, free upgrades
Iran opposition leader defiant amid pressure to back down
Amnesty urges Thailand to open lese-majeste trial
| International
|
Israel marks third anniversary of soldier's capture
Questions and answers about the climate bill
Climate bill showdown: Obama, Dems pressing hard
Recession, expensive oil slow CO2 growth in 2008
LG Elec aims to sell up to 5 million LED TVs in 2010
Major provisions of House climate and energy bill
Guantanamo reforms in defense budget: US lawmaker
Embattled South Carolina Governor to repay trip expenses
Google slammed as China, U.S. quarrel over Internet
| Technology
|
Financier Stanford pleads not guilty, bond set
Pre helps Palm beat expectations, shares rise
| Technology
|
Iowa town struggles to understand slaying of coach
Memphis mayor resigns to focus on run for Congress
Manhattan DA endorses ex-deputy to replace him
Aliases hinder probe of Houston officer's slaying
Former Wash. inmate sues state for labor shackling
Court: Hustler wrong to print dead woman's photos
NZ economy shrinks for 5th straight quarter in Q1
S.Korea to raise power costs by 3.9 pct this week
Taiwan dlr rebounds from 1-mth low after rate move
S.Korea asks banks to control mortgage loan growth
Taiwan keeps certificate of deposit rates intact
Tears flow for pop's 'Peter Pan'
S.Korea T-bonds rebound on U.S., July auction plan
S.Korea c.bank sees June c/a surplus over $3 bln
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Mystery surrounds Michael Jackson's sudden death
| Entertainment
|
Seoul shares rise;shipbuilders, steel issues gain
"Transformers" in high gear already
Farrah Fawcett, 1970s sex symbol, dies aged 62
| Entertainment
|
King of Pop Michael Jackson dies, aged 50
S.Korea May c/a surplus more than halves
Stars in shock at Jackson's death
Transformers in high gear already
| Entertainment
|
Not 's job to 'fix China': CEO
Pop icon Michael Jackson dead: official
NBC sets fall schedule dates
| Entertainment
|
A buoyant 'Twelfth Night' floats in Central Park
Old Boy proceeds despite legal scuffle
| Entertainment
|
LA Times: Michael Jackson hospitalized
Noah Wyle in alien-fighting role at TNT
| Entertainment
|
RI club owner in fatal fire case out of prison
Jeri Ryan gains Leverage at TNT
| Entertainment
|
ABC, NBC airing Farrah Fawcett specials
Lebanon's Hariri set to become prime minister
| International
|
Israel plays down reports of imminent Gaza deal
| International
|
Pakistani violence spreads to Kashmir
| International
|
Ireland grants rights to same-sex partnerships
| International
|
Turkey's military says plot report is smear campaign
| International
|
OSCE makes last Georgia patrol, issues warning
| International
|
Zimbabwe's Mugabe attacks West on sanctions, aid
| International
|
Thai official to avoid temple issue in Cambodia
Indonesia radio becomes voice for tolerance
NKorean leader boosts public appearances this year
China marks anti-drug day with executions
SKorea to set up peacekeeping force: military
Brothers charged in Ariz. diversity office bombing
California Senate rejects cash-saving proposal
China hospital dumps 8 unclaimed bodies
UN troubleshooter in Myanmar to discuss Ban visit
U.N. Human Rights Chief Blasts America's Torture Programs, Terror Prisons
Outrage as French rugby player admits assault lie
Memorial service set for operator in DC crash
G8 Deplores Iran's Election Violence
AP source: GM to build small car in Michigan
Sanford To Pay Back Tax Payers For 2008 Argentina Trip
Vietnam fishermen say trade hit by Chinese patrols
Facing Impeachment, Imprisoned Federal Judge To Resign
Spokane cops arrest alleged meat thief ringleader
China's Li facing Pole challenge at Wimbledon
Former Venture Capitalist Julius Genachowski Confirmed As FCC Chairman
Alaska governor visits troops in Kosovo
In Wake Of Ensign Extramarital Scandal, GOP Elects Sen. Thune As Policy Head
Steelers owner Rooney now ambassador to Ireland
Blagojevich Corruption Trial Set For June 3, 2010
Despite Anticipated Close Vote, House Democrats Begin Debate On Landmark Energy Bill Friday
Utility Crew Digs Up Human Remains Near Cemeteries
Michael Jackson Dies In Los Angeles
Japan's consumer prices log record fall
Pakistani c.bank sells 59.4 bln rupees of T-bills
China bank loans to top 1 trillion yuan in June
Jackson death forces cuts to 'Bruno' comedy: report
Gay rights movement: 40 years since Stonewall riots
Michael Jackson's death hits tour promoter, ticket holders
| Entertainment
|
'Realism' rubbery idea in French art show in Brazil
Showbiz diva Liza Minnelli returns to Paris
Selected Discography for Michael Jackson
Hundreds of Jackson fans converge on hospital
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights