Reports of Attacks on Iran's Opposition

The Guardian, CNN, AP, Reuters, Persian2English /

An Iranian opposition website said on Thursday that security forces attacked opposition leader Mehdi Karoubi when he attended a rally to mark the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution. "Karoubi was attacked by security forces in central Tehran... they shattered his car's windows ... Karoubi was not seriously injured," Jaras website reported. The same website said security forces also attacked former president Mohammad Khatami. The Guardian, CNN and other media are reporting about sources inside Iran saying that some opposition leaders and their supporters have been attacked in Tehran by government forces today during pro- and anti-government demonstrations on the 31st anniversary of the Islamist revolution there. The Associated Press reports that: Authorities clamped down hard to prevent a major show of force by the opposition amid one of the country's most important political occasions. Tehran residents also reported Internet speeds dropping dramatically and e-mail services such as Gmail being blocked in a common government tactic to foil opposition attempts to organize.

Zahra Rahnavard (Moussavi’s wife and one of the leading global thinkers according to Foreign Policy magazine) is badly beaten. Green Road Network (Jaras): Zahra Rahnavard who was trying to join today’s rally from Sadeqieh Square was surrounded and attacked by plain cloth and uniformed agents. The plain cloth agents attacked Rahnavard with fists and batons and injured her head and back. After the attack people formed a defensive circle around Rahnavard and help her out of the situation. “Green Lady of Iran” has been the subject of threats, chase, and even physical attack many times in the recent months. Cars carrying Mohammd Khatami (former President) and Mehdi Karroubi (June 12 presidential candidate) were also attacked. Ali Karroubi, Mehdi Karroubi’s son has been arrested. Mohammad Reza Khatami (Khatami’s brohter) and his wife (who is Ayatollah Khomeini’s grand daughter) were also arrested and held for a few hours earlier today.