Police break up Tehran rally in support of murdered
writers
TEHRAN, Jan 23 (AFP) - Police forcibly dispersed a demonstration here
on Saturday in memory of two writers who were murdered in Iran last month,
witnesses said.
Several hundred people had taken part in the rally in front of the
Hassan Mosque in north Tehran, where they had earlier gathered to commemorate
the 40th day since the deaths of Mohammad Mokhtari and Mohammad Pouyandeh.
Police beat up some protesters with batons, among them relatives of
the writers, after they began shouting: "Down with the Dictatorship,"
and other slogans against the regime, witnesses said.
The mourners poured into the street after they were denied their request
to have their eight speakers deliver speeches in memory of the writers.
It was the second time in days that riot police had forcibly broken
up a demonstration -- on Thursday police dispersed several thousand demonstrators
who had gathered to mark the anniversary of the death of former prime minister
Mehdi Bazargan, a moderate Islamic opposition figure who died in 1995.
The writers, who campaigned for human rights, were kidnapped and killed
in early December. The murders followed the stabbing to death of nationalist
opposition leader Daryush Foruhar and his wife in their Tehran home on
November 22.
The intelligence ministry has admitted that rogue secret agents were
involved in the killings, provoking a public furore and bitter factional
fighting between conservatives, and moderate and left-wing supporters of
President Mohammed Khatami.
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