Everett, Wash.
Published: Sunday, July 5, 2009

Iranian opposition leader accused of being a U.S. agent

Associated Press

 TEHRAN, Iran -- A top aide to Iran's all-powerful leader has accused the country's main opposition leader of being an American agent who should be tried for treason, increasing the pressure on reformists disputing the outcome of last month's presidential election.

There was no immediate reaction from Mir Hossein Mousavi to the accusation in an editorial Saturday in the conservative daily newspaper Khayan. Mousavi, who claims he was fraudulently deprived of victory in the June 12 election that gave Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term, has not been seen in public in recent days.

The editorial, by Hossein Shariatmadari, a top aide to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, raised the possibility that Mousavi could be arrested and charged like many other pro-reform figures.

The accusation appeared to be part of an effort by the leadership to portray the opposition and those behind the street unrest as agents working for foreign powers. A detained Iranian employee of the British Embassy has also been charged with harming Iran's national security, his lawyer said Saturday.

In the editorial against Mousavi, Shariatmadari wrote, "It has to be asked whether the actions of (Mousavi and his supporters) are in response to instructions of American authorities."

He added that Mousavi was trying to "escape punishment for murdering innocent people, holding riots, cooperating with foreigners and acting as America's fifth column inside the country" and called for Mousavi and former reformist President Mohammad Khatami to be tried in court for "horrible crimes and treason."

The semi-official news agency Fars reported last week that another prominent reformer, former Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi, had "confessed that he has provoked people and students to anarchy and riots and velvet revolution." It also said Mohammad Ghoochani, editor of the Etemad-e-Melli newspaper, had confessed to receiving training overseas to "organize a velvet revolution."

"Velvet revolution" refers to the huge demonstrations in Czechoslovakia in 1989 that forced the Communist regime to abandon power. Western-oriented intellectuals and activists were at the heart of those demonstrations, and Iran's frequent use of the phrase underlines authorities' contention that the postelection protests were fomented by foreign influence. Iran blames the United States and Britain in particular.

Abtahi was a vice president under Khatami. Fars did not give further details about what punishment Abtahi and Ghoochani could face or about their confessions.

Some human rights groups have raised concerns that people detained in the postelection turmoil could be forced into making bogus confessions under torture or other duress.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA