'I am not afraid of martyrdom,' Iran opposition leader Mousavi declares

[struggle4progress]

Source: The Times

Martin Fletcher

The Iranian opposition leader responded to demands for his arrest and execution yesterday by saying that he was ready for martyrdom.

At the end of a week in which his nephew was killed, top aides were arrested and regime supporters demanded his death for sedition, Mir Hossein Mousavi declared: “I’m not afraid to be one of the people’s martyrs in their struggle for their just demands.”

Referring to the scores of opposition activists killed by security forces since June’s disputed presidential election, Mr Mousavi added: “My blood is no redder than theirs.”

In an unusually outspoken statement on his website, Mr Mousavi, defeated by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in what his supporters insist was a rigged election, denounced the Government’s violent crackdown and insisted that restoring civil liberties was the only way to resolve the “crisis” facing Iran ...

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6973499.ece

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Earlier LBN thread:

Parliament calls for arrest of Moussavi, two other opposition leaders
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4204626

[LouKneeLib]

1. Why would he?

I'm sure the CIA will take care of his family.

[Alamuti Lotus]

2. drama queen

hypocrite to boot.

[Kurska]

3. Oh you!

Got a chuckle, I think shooting college kids in their dorms is plenty to get "Dramatic" about, but at this point I can only laugh at the closed minded and closed ears fools who support murderous regimes like Iran.

[Alamuti Lotus]

5. he had plenty of college kids shot in his day

his regime yesterday was truly murderous compared to what he seeks to supplant himself with today. Blessed be the fact that no people has a memory that could compete with that of a fruit fly, or inconvenient facts like that might be more widely known.

It is so easy to forget, and I know how easy it is because I see it on display daily in these stupid articles and usually equally stupid discussions that follow, how stained his gloves were as the loyal President of Imam Khumayni(RA) in the 80s. Loyalty he ardently maintains to this day, just like the Pistachio King Rafsanjani -- aka pillars of the great green revolution (snicker), along with the psycho death cult MKO, etc.. Aww, how great the process of Image Reinvention is, and how fortunate we are to have the public relations processes that speed such things along.

[Kurska]

6. This isn't even about Mousavi and you know it.

Oh I'm sure the current Iranian government wants nothing more then to prevent a future wave of terror with the blood they are drenching Iran with today.

[Alamuti Lotus]

7. he made it about himself, not me

and I edited a bit more invective into that last posting, I believe at the same time as you were replying.

[Kurska]

8. It is about kids being shot on the street, not some old man.

Do you think anyone controls the green movement? You think people are risking life and limb for just Mousavi?

[Juche]

12. What all did he do

I remember reading a blurb about some things he did in the 80s, but forget the details. I know he supported the hostage taking in 1979 though.

[struggle4progress]

4. His nephew was assassinated Sunday. There have been concerted calls, from several

rightwing religious leaders and various government supporters, to kill opposition leaders; I've posted several links in LBN threads in the last few days. In addition, some PMs have been calling for his arrest. And here's a story from 17 Nov 09:

Iran Death Sentences Seen As Move To Intimidate Opposition
Iran: Death penalty for 5 in election unrest
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran has sentenced five people to death over the unrest that followed the country's disputed June presidential election, state television reported Tuesday. At least three others caught up in the turmoil have received death sentences previously. Iran began a mass trial in August of prominent opposition figures and activists, accusing them of a range of charges from rioting to spying and plotting what authorities have called a "soft revolution" to topple the country's Islamic rulers ... http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-11-17-iran-deathpenalty_N.htm

So maybe "drama queen" isn't exactly the right reaction

[Alamuti Lotus]

9. so those "Death To Khameini" / "Death To The Dictator" chants are in good company, then

[David__77]

10. I wonder what the specific charges in the death sentences were.

I wonder if they were charged with murder, or some other, less specific crime.

[struggle4progress]

11. Iranian protester's death sentence must be reviewed (Amnesty International | 9 October 2009)

Amnesty International is urging the Iranian authorities to rescind the death sentence imposed on Mohammad-Reza Ali-Zamani, the first person to be sentenced to death in connection with protests following disputed presidential elections.

Zamani, 37, was sentenced to death by a Tehran Revolutionary Court on Thursday after he was convicted of "enmity against God for membership of and activities to further the aims of the terrorist grouplet Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran (API)".

The API is an exiled opposition group which advocates the ending of the Islamic Republic and the establishment of an Iranian monarchy.

He was also convicted of "propaganda against the system", "insulting the holy sanctities", "gathering and colluding with intent to harm national internal security " as well as of leaving the country illegally to visit Iraq where he was alleged to have met US military officials ...

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/iranian-protesters-death-sentence-must-be-reviewed-20091009

[Odin2005]

13. Oh look, the resident Ahma-nutjob apologist.

:puke: