Protests in Iran's major cities on election anniversary

On the anniversary of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election in addition to Tehran, other major cities were witness to protests and conflicts with government forces.

International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported a series of conflicts in the streets of Mashhad at Mellat Park and Ferdowsi University which led to the arrest of at least ten protesters.

An eyewitness has informed the Campaign that police and plain clothes forces were heavily present at a number of Mashhad universities to impede student gatherings.

In Sistan & Baluchistan University in south east of Iran, hundreds of students gathered in silence in protest to government policies, Daneshjoo News reports. Reportedly, the disciplinary committee tired to interfere with the gathering and create conflicts.

The Green Voice of Freedom reports that Esfahan was also faced with heavy deployment of security forces on June 12; however, some unofficial reports of conflicts between protesters and Special Guards have already been posted in the media.

Jaras reformist website has also issued a rally call to “Green Movement supporters” to gather on June 15 at the residence of Ayatollah Dastgheyb.

Ayatollah Dastgheyb, a senior Shiite cleric, has consistently supported protesters in the past year of dispute against the legitimacy of elections, and has been repeatedly attacked by the hard-line factions of the Islamic Republic.

Despite the cancellation of the rally call by MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi for fears of attacks against people’s lives, some groups of protesters took to the streets of Tehran yesterday. Police officials have reported the arrest of 91 people on this day.