Vol. 74/No. 23 June 14, 2010
Arrested in February, Panahi began a hunger strike May 16. His case won broad international support, but also public support inside Iran, where defense cases of those jailed for their political views are rarely given publicity.
Mehdi Karroubi, one of the candidates in last years presidential elections and a prominent leader of the bourgeois liberal opposition to the regime, visited Panahi after he was released and called for the freedom of all political prisoners in Iran. The White Scarves, a group of Iranian women who campaign to win the right of women to watch public sports events of their choice, also visited Panahi.
Meanwhile, the Tehran police chief announced that the government would deal harshly with any illegal protests to commemorate the June 12 anniversary. Both Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, also part of the bourgeois opposition, have applied for a permit to march that day.
Related articles:
Iran readers seek books on revolution in U.S.
Workers protest for jobs in Iranian port city
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