No more tolerance with protestors, Iran prosecutor warns

Tehran - Iran's chief prosecutor warned Tuesday that the authorities would have no more tolerance with the protestors rallying against the government. "So far the authorities have shown tolerance and leniency with those who disturb public order," Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejehi said.

The official was referring to renewed demonstrations on Monday against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad which led to clashes between protestors and police and several arrests.

He did not clarify what penalties the protestors would face but said that there has been coordination with the Tehran prosecutor's office to confront what he called illegal demonstrations.

Meanwhile Tehran's police commander said that more than 200 demonstrators were arrested on charges disturbing public order, adding that their cases would be sent to the judiciary after the end of investigations.
General Azizollah Tajabzadeh told the official n
ews agency IRNA that out of the 204 arrested, 165 are men and 35 women.

The police commander said that the arrested demonstrators have shouted slogans against officials and thrown stones on police forces and pedestrians.

He said they also burnt down police motorbikes and garbage cans and damaged cars parked near Tehran University, which was the main venue of the protests.

The police commander blamed the foreign media for having exaggerated the dimensions of Monday's demonstrations and said the number of protestors was much less than at previous rallies.

Opposition supporters have staged several protest demonstrations against alleged fraud in the June presidential polls which led to Ahmadinejad's re-election.

More than 80 dissidents, journalists and former officials of the previous reformist government have been sentenced to jail terms of up to 15 years for involvement in post-vote protests, and alleged plans to topple the Islamic establishment.

Earth Times