Velvet Revolution Urges Iranian Citizens to Continue To Engage In Peaceful Assemblage To Contest An Opaque Election

And For Iranian Security Forces To Reject Orders To Attack And Arrest Citizens

(Washington) -- Yesterday, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, without any recount of the results, stated that the Iran election was not rigged, and that any more protests would trigger violent crackdowns by security forces, including the thuggish Basij militia which has reportedly already killed a number of demonstrators. Today, tens of thousands of riot police and militia are in the streets attacking citizens with tear gas, water cannon and batons.

Velvet Revolution condemns these threats of violence against Iranian citizens who peacefully seek redress of grievances. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Iran is a party specifically permits peaceful assembly and prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention. It is the authorities who need to be warned against violence rather than the citizens. A proper resolution of the election contest would be to allow independent elections experts to conduct a recount of the vote and to recommend a solution based on that analysis.

Velvet Revolution supports free and fair elections everywhere as well as the fundamental right of citizens to speak and protest. The actions of the authorities in Iran are the antithesis of this — opacity regarding all phases of the election, arbitrary arrests of opposition figures, shutting down of various forms of mass communication, blocking satellite transmissions of TV and radio, and gratuitous attacks by government sponsored militia.

Velvet Revolution urges Iranian citizens to continue their peaceful protests and calls on all security forces in Iran to refuse orders to attack, arrest or intimidate them. Crackdowns cannot hold back the will of the Iranian people and any officials who harm those citizens must be held accountable.

Source: VelvetRevolution.us