At Least 19 Dead in Iranian Protests
June 21st, 2009Via: CTV:
Iranian state television has raised the death toll from anti-government demonstrations to at least 19 and reported Sunday that the daughter of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, along with four other family members, has been arrested for participating in the protests.
According to the report, authorities made the arrests late Saturday. The names of the other arrested family members were not given.
Prior to news of the arrests, state television had broadcast pictures of Faezeh Hashemi, who is Rafsanjani’s eldest daughter, speaking to supporters of opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi.
Rafsanjani and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was declared the victor in the June 8 national elections by a landslide despite predictions of a close race, have traded insults in recent weeks.
Rafsanjani intensely dislikes Ahmadinejad, who accused the former president and his family of corruption.
State media broke news of the arrests not long after it updated the death toll from the violent demonstrations that have rocked much of Tehran to at least 19.
State media reported that 10 people died in Saturday’s fighting between protesters and pro-government Basij militia. However, the English-language Press TV, which is only broadcast outside of Iran, reported Saturday’s death toll as 13.
Protesters, supporters of Mousavi who allege the elections were rigged in favour of Ahmadinejad, have taken to the streets every evening since the election, clashing with militia members and riot police.
State media also said that 100 people were injured on Saturday. The deputy chief of police, who was quoted in the story, said officers did not use live ammunition against the crowds who, according to the report, set fire to gas stations and attacked a military post.
The casualty figures cannot be independently verified due to a government crackdown on media. Most foreign journalists were ordered to leave the country after the election, and Iranian reporters have been confined to reporting by phone or the Internet.
