TEHRAN — Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and a popular reformist former president are boldly defying the country’s supreme leader by supporting continued protests of a disputed presidential election, but it was unclear Monday whether protesters would dare to continue massive demonstrations after a bloody crackdown.
“The country belongs to you … protesting lies and fraud is your right,” Mousavi, who claims hardline Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won re-election through fraud, said in a statement on his Web site.
The statement flies in the face of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power in Iran and who last week said the claimed landslide victory of Ahmadinejad was valid.
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Updates:
12:19 pm EDT, June 22nd, 2009 — Police break up new Tehran rally