Iran warns of fierce crackdown

2009-07-09 11:03

Tehran - Iranian authorities warned on Thursday of a harsh crackdown against any demonstration to mark the 10th anniversary of student unrest which rocked the Islamic republic on this day in 1999.

"No permission for a gathering or march has been requested or issued," Tehran governor Morteza Tamadon said in a strongly worded statement to the official news agency IRNA.

"But if some people make moves that are contrary to security initiatives under the influence of anti-revolutionary networks, they will be trampled under the feet of our alert people."

Witnesses said leaflets were being distributed in several Tehran squares urging people to join a march on Thursday to mark the anniversary of the student protest which was violently suppressed by the authorities in 1999.

The anniversary falls as Tehran is recovering from violent protests last month to denounce the result of the bitterly disputed June 12 election which returned hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power.

Groups of students hold small gatherings each year to commemorate on July 9, which marks the most significant confrontation between the authorities and students in the Islamic republic.

The riots were sparked when hardline vigilantes stormed student dormitories and the ensuing violence left at least one student dead and dozens wounded, according to official figures.

At least 20 people have been killed in the latest unrest over the election and the authorities have banned all kinds of gatherings in Tehran amid a fierce crackdown on protesters, reformists, journalists and political activists.

- SAPA