Show trials resumed in Iran today. Foreign journalists were barred from the proceedings, so the only reports come from mouthpieces like the Fars news agency. And the proceedings were quite predictable: One student activist, identified only as A.M., apologized and asked for a pardon.
"Prior to the election, we were talking about issues like fraud and were also advocating massively against the officials of the regime. We also staged a rebellion against the regime... the election was just a pretext to hit at the symbol of the regime, the (supreme) leader," he said.
Prosecutors also fell back on one of their favorite refrains, blaming Washington for creating a "media frenzy" after the election. Social networks like Facebook and Twitter were singled out for criticism: Prosecutors said the U.S. urged protesters to join those networks and "influence Iranians."
Karroubi, meanwhile, posted a statement on his Web site repeating his claims that prisoners were raped in custody.
And Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri issued a statement urging other clerics to speak out and criticize the regime. He described that as a requirement of their Islamic faith, according to Al-Arabiya.
"The people are saying that if this oppression... is against Islam, then how come the marjas, the guardians of religion... are not taking a stand against the wrongdoings?" Montazeri asked.
One other observation: Where's Mousavi's reaction? I know he's under tight restrictions and it's not easy for him to speak out -- but so is Karroubi, and that didn't stop him.
As Roger Cohen put it last week, "Mir Hussein Moussavi, thy name is meekness."
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Categories: Iran, Iranian Elections (2009), Politics, Regional News
Tags: Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, Iranian elections, Mehdi Karrubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, show trials
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