Wave of Arrests in Iran

The last of the demonstrators Monday morning were dispersed with tear gas in Iran's cities, and there were no major rallies yesterday. The authorities continued to make arrests among aides to the major reformist leaders, and even among the relatives of the latter. Reformist reports said that the sister of Nobel peace prize winner Shirin Ebedi, a prominent regime critic has been taken into custody even though he is not politically active. The body of Ali Mousavi, the 34-year-old nephew of opposition leader Mir Hosain Mousavi, was confiscated by the government authorities, apparently in order to prevent it from becoming a rallying point, given his martyrdom. Mir Hosain Mousavi charged the regime with deliberately murdering the young man. Three of his aides were arrested.

Opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi had windows of his car broken out by assailants.

Opposition figure Ibrahim Yazdi was also arrested, He had served in an early post-revolution cabinet and is now in poor health.

President Obama condemned the brutal crackdown and called for the hundreds of prisoners of conscience to be released.

There are other days in Muharram when crowds will come out, and on which there may be more rallies and violence. The opposition movement continues to unfold and expand, but in an oddly staccato way, impelled by those anniversaries that allow people legitimately to gather in the streets in large numbers.


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