No proof West was behind Iran urrest: Suprene Leader- ABC News (Aus... Ittp://abc.gov.au/rcws/stories/2009/08/27/2668154.hthi
ABC News
No proof West was behind Iran unrest:
Supreme Leader
By Middle East correspondent Anne Barker
Posted Thu Aug 27, 2009 8:20am AEST
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says he has no
proof the leaders of the recent post-election unrest were backed
by foreign countries.
Iran's rulers have consistently accused Western nations - namely Britain and the United States - of plotting to destabilise
the country after the disputed presidential election and of helping to incite the wave of unrest.
The opposition says dozens of people died and hundreds were arrested during the protests following the re-election of
President Mahmoud Ahmedinajad.
Among the hundreds of people on trial are several foreign embassy staff. Iran also expelled two British diplomats and
several foreign journalists.
But the Ayatollah now says he has no proof the opposition leaders were backed by foreign states.
In a statement read on Iran's state television he said the judiciary should not deal with those behind the protests based on
rumour or guesswork, but give rulings based on solid evidence.
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities are investigating claims of a mass burial of protesters killed in the recent post-election
unrest.
But the claim has been dismissed as rumour
Iranian authorities say the official death toll from the recent wave of violence is 26. But opposition leaders say 69 people
died in the unrest.
A pro-reform website last week claimed that “tens” of people had been buried in unnamed graves in Tehran's biggest
cemetery on July 12 and 15.
The website indicated that those buried had been protesters.
But a former head of the cemetery has denied any mass burial took place.
A parliamentary committee in Tehran is looking into the claims.
Tags: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war , ftan
lofi 10/19/2009 12:18PM
