12:30GMT—8:30AM/EST
Washington,
18 September (WashingtonTV)—France on Friday expressed concern by
reports of violence towards Iranian opposition leaders, who joined tens
of thousands of people at a rally in Tehran.
Witnesses
said that former President Mohammad Khatami, a key supporter of
defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, was assaulted,
before supporters and riot police rescued him. During the scuffle, his
turban was disheveled, reports the Associated Press.
“France
is highly concerned by reports of violences committed against leaders
of the Iranian opposition,” French Foreign Ministry spokesperson,
Bernard Valero, told a news conference, according to AFP.
The
official IRNA news agency said that Mousavi and reformist cleric Mehdi
Karroubi, who was also defeated in the disputed June presidential
election, were both forced to leave the rally after being attacked.
Riot
police, armed with batons, beat protesters, who were pelting them with
stones at Tehran’s main Haft-e Tir Square, witnesses told AFP.
Witnesses told Reuters that security forces arrested more than 10 people.
Iranian
authorities earlier warned the opposition, which alleges that the 12
June poll was rigged, against carrying out anti-government ralli… >>>
