Liviagray
Jun 19th, 2009, 08:07 AM
by Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Published: 12:33PM BST 19 Jun 2009
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned opposition leaders they would be held responsible for "bloodshed" if mass protests over the disputed election continued in Tehran.
Ayatollah Khamenei gave strong backing to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was controversially declared the winner of last week's presidential election and made clear further dissent would be crushed. "I am urging them to end street protests, otherwise they will be responsible for its consequences, and consequences of any chaos," he told worshippers at Tehran University. "The result of the election comes out of the ballot box, not from the street.
"If there is any bloodshed, leaders of the protests will be held directly responsible."
The Supreme Leader said the electoral contest was "over". Drawing cheers of "God is Great", he said the Basij militia, or religious vanguard force, would be mobilised against the demonstrators.
In a clear endorsement of the incumbent president, the Supreme Leader said that his own views were closest to Mr Ahmadinejad's vision for Iran.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/5577823/Irans-Supreme-Leader-unleashes-threat-of-militias-against-election-protesters.html
Published: 12:33PM BST 19 Jun 2009
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned opposition leaders they would be held responsible for "bloodshed" if mass protests over the disputed election continued in Tehran.
Ayatollah Khamenei gave strong backing to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was controversially declared the winner of last week's presidential election and made clear further dissent would be crushed. "I am urging them to end street protests, otherwise they will be responsible for its consequences, and consequences of any chaos," he told worshippers at Tehran University. "The result of the election comes out of the ballot box, not from the street.
"If there is any bloodshed, leaders of the protests will be held directly responsible."
The Supreme Leader said the electoral contest was "over". Drawing cheers of "God is Great", he said the Basij militia, or religious vanguard force, would be mobilised against the demonstrators.
In a clear endorsement of the incumbent president, the Supreme Leader said that his own views were closest to Mr Ahmadinejad's vision for Iran.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/5577823/Irans-Supreme-Leader-unleashes-threat-of-militias-against-election-protesters.html