Thousands of Iranian students ignored official warnings and demonstrated for the fourth day running on Tuesday against a dissident's death sentence and to demand freedom of speech and political reform.
About 5,000 students gathered at Tehran University in support of academic Hashem Aghajari, sentenced to hang for questioning clerical rule in the Islamic Republic. "The execution of Aghajari is the execution of the university," demonstrators chanted, according to Reuters. "Political prisoners should be freed."
The momentum of protests appeared to be growing, with bigger crowds in Tehran each day and demonstrations spreading to the provincial cities of Tabriz, Isfahan, Urumiyeh and Hamedan.
The protests come amid rising political tension in the country as moderate President Mohammad Khatami tries to assert his authority over conservative rivals who control the judiciary, armed forces and broadcast media.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said on Monday protecting the country's Islamic system is the most important obligation of the officials at the three branches of the government.
Proper implementation of the Islamic instructions, appointment of competent officials to administer justice in the society and the people's trust in the system that guarantees a close link and unity between officials and people are three main pillars of the Islamic system of Iran.
The omission of every one of three mentioned elements would tremendously damage the system, he added, according to IRNA. Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's most powerful figure and commander of the armed forces, issued a veiled warning late on Monday to parliament, the government and judiciary to settle their differences.
"The day the three branches are unable or unwilling to settle major problems, the (supreme) leadership will, if it thinks it necessary, use the popular forces to intervene," he told high-ranking officials in comments broadcast on television. "I hope that will never happen," he said. (Albawaba.com)
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