OFFICE OF IRANIAN AFFAIRS JULY 1 IRAN ELECTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 068555

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM PHUMR IR
SUBJECT: OFFICE OF IRANIAN AFFAIRS JULY 1 IRAN ELECTION
SPOT REPORT

(U). In an effort to improve dissemination, following is the
unedited Post election spot report prepared by the
Department's Office of Iranian Affairs. These reports
comprise input from all Iran Watchers as well as press
reports. Note carefully that much of this information may be
unconfirmed. Feedback on these reports is welcome; please
send to NEA-Iran-DC-DL@state.gov.

July 2: 3:00 AM in Iran:

(U) Mousavi: Keep Protesting,: Mir-Hossein Mousavi has
issued a fresh call to his supporters to maintain peaceful
protests after the government confirmed the result of the
disputed election. Mousavi used a message on his website,
which also appeared on Facebook, to renew his call for the
cancellation of the election. "We emphasize the position of
Mir-Hossein Mousavi which is mentioned in the June 27
letter," Mousavi's Ghalam News website said. The candidate's
supporters were urged to continue confronting the regime
without provoking bloodshed. Among the recommended tactics
was to continue the call of Allah-u Akbar from rooftops at
night, writing Mousavi's name on cash bills and hijacking
official holidays to make protests.

(U) Report: Karroubi Aide Arrested: Mehdi Karroubi,s
official website has announced that their website director
and reporter Mojtaba Tehrani was arrested Saturday night as
he left his office for his residence. No one has heard
anything from him since Saturday, the report says. According
to his family, Basij officials made an appearance at hi
residence the day before his disappearance and confiscated
his laptop and various files.

(U) Mousavi Not Approved for Future Elections,: BBC Persian
reports that Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, a conservative cleric
and member of Iran's Guardian Council, claims the Council
will not approve Mousavi as a candidate for any future
presidential race. If people like me remain in the Guardians
Council ,He said of a possible Mousavi bid, We will not
approve him.

(U) Ahmadinejad Post-Victory, Remarks: Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad hailed on Tuesday his re-election as a victory
for the Iranian people and a defeat for the Islamic
Republic's enemies. This election was actually a referendum.
The Iranian nation were the victors and the enemies, despite
their ... plots of a soft toppling of the system, failed and
couldn't reach their aims.

(U) Rezai's Spokesman Claims Ballots Had Similar Handwriting:
Mohsen Rezai's unofficial spokesman, Omidvar Rasai, charges
in an interview that "between 70 to 80 percent of the votes
in some constituencies were written with the same pen and
with the handwriting of a single individual."

(U) Senior Cleric Releases Statement Supporting Mousavi:
ILNA reports that Ayatollah Taheri-Esfahani (Esfahan,s
former Friday Prayer leader) issued a statement in support of
Mir-Hossein Mousavi. Taheri-Esfahani condemned "making
instrumental use" of the Islamic founder's remarks. In his
statement, he asks: "Is it a case of justice to see that an
honorable and modest Seyyed (one who is a descendant of the
prophet Mohammad) who until the last moments of Khomeini's
life, had been a dear and close companion of that grand
leader, is now considered to be a rioter and an agent of
arrogance who must be punished?

(U) Newsweek Journalist Reportedly "Confesses" to Aiding
Protests: Fars News reports that imprisoned Newsweek
reporter Maziar Bahari has "confessed" to "lying" and helping
the post-election demonstrations. According to Fars, Mr.
Bahari admitted that he was part of the huge capitalist
machinery that sought to bring about a victory for Mr.
Ahmadinejad,s rival, Mr. Mousavi.

(U) Report: 35 Countries Recognize Ahmadinejad as Winner:
According to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,s website, www.
president.ir, 35 countries have recognized him as the winner
of the presidential election: India; Tunisia; Malaysia;
Lebanon; North Korea; Kuwait; Nicaragua; Comoros
Cambodia; Senegal; Cuba; Belarus; Sudan; Syria; Libya;
Algeria; Turkmenistan; Iraq; Kazakhstan; Indonesia;
Bahrain; Yemen; Sri Lanka; Ecuador; Russia; Azerbaijan;
Qatar; Tajikistan; Armenia; Oman; Turkey; Afghanistan;
Pakistan; China; Venezuela

(U) EU States Set to Recall Iran Ambassadors: Amid
continuing anger across Europe over the arrests of British

STATE 00068555 002 OF 003


embassy employees - linked by Tehran to the opposition
protests over the disputed outcome of election - senior EU
diplomats said a coordinated diplomatic protest would take
place "within days. "Member states are now very focused on
the idea of conducting a coordinated withdrawal of
ambassadors this weekend if there has been no movement on the
side of the Iranians," said one EU diplomat. "We need to see
these (four) set free by Friday at the latest."

(U) Khatami Urges Restoration of Public Trust,: Press T V
reports that Former president Mohammad Khatami has called for
effective measures to be taken to restore public trust and
safeguard the Islamic establishment. In a Sunday meeting
with members of the parliament's National Security and
Foreign Policy Commission, Khatami said that the breach of
public confidence could shake the foundation of the Islamic
establishment. Khatami said it was inappropriate to slander
or arrest people in response to what he called "logical
objection and civil behavior of a large segment of the
society who protest against the election results." Khatmi
suggested that forming an 'impartial panel' to look into the
issue could remove any ambiguities and restore public trust.
Citing his adherence to the principles of the Islamic
Revolution, Khatami stressed the need for taking measures to
ensure freedom of expression for all and by doing such, the
establishment will ensure that the people will be present in
the political scene in the future. Khatami added that the
religious and democratic principles integrated into the
Islamic establishment must be protected by the best possible
approach. The nation-oriented establishment will become
vulnerable if its social resources are lost, he warned.

(U) Militant Clerics Association Comments on Election
Results, Urges Peace: ILNA reports that that Militant
Clerics Association (Majma-yi Ruhaniyun-i Mobarez) has issued
a statement: In the election which took place, it could have
been possible for this system to become stronger and deviated
paths become clear from the right ones. And it (election)
could have brought peace to the inflamed souls of an awake
and aware nation. At the beginning of the fourth decade from
the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the election could
have shown that the democratic bases, in accordance with
religion, had become stronger. And make the people feel that
the outcome of the blood shed by thousands of martyrs, the
pain and suffering of war veterans, former captives and their
patient families is blossoming more and more each day. And
Iran is moving towards progress, and becoming an Iran with
respect, dignity, and spiritual and material rights. It is
regrettable that this chance was missed and today, public
trust, which is the main capital of the country and the
Revolution, has been undermined. And a group of people, who
have something to say or criticize as per their rights, are
not convinced of the results. We believe that people's
undermined trust, regarding the election results, cannot be
mended by the opinion of a source that the majority of its
members had already announced their clear support for a
candidate (referring to Ahmadinejad). We are sorry that
logical and benevolent solutions were not considered. And an
impartial and professional board was not appointed to study
(election results) and announce the truth. On the other hand,
peaceful and graceful protests, in which people had a unique
presence and proved their maturity just like the bright days
of the Revolution, were attacked...Now after the high costs
that have been paid, while we protest the election results,
and believe in the right to protest, this should not cost the
dear people any more. We believe that increasing enthusiasm
and street protests are not the solution. And we expect the
officials to make plans for ending the security and military
atmosphere. And release the prisoners and stop unilateral and
provoking propagation and officially recognize the right for
civic protests and freedom of speech. And create an
atmosphere, where benevolent intellectuals will be able to
think in a calm atmosphere and find a basic solution to what
has pushed the society to such an unpleasant state.

(U) MP Says Communication Limitations Should Be Lifted: Mehr
News reports that MP Hossein Sobhaninia stated on Tuesday
that some communication limitations such as the disablement
of SMS text messaging should be lifted and the country take a
normal course again. Sobhaninia, who sits on the Majles
National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, also said
Today all political factions and activists should urge people
to remain calm and maintain unity and consider the election
dispute as a closed issue. He noted that the MPs member to
the Majles security committee should study all the pros and
cons of the election. He added one of the concerns of the
committee is to help establish a normal condition in the
country.

(U) Tehran University Chancellor Denies Inviting
'Disciplinary Forces' Into Dormitories: In an interview
with Mehr News, Farhad Rahbar, the chancellor of Tehran
University, has denied remarks that during recent riots in

STATE 00068555 003 OF 003


Tehran, the disciplinary forces had entered the University's
dormitory his request. According to Mehr, the dean of Tehran
University has said: "I became informed of the arrival of the
disciplinary forces when they had already entered the
dormitory and I was there; however I had made no request for
their coming."

(U) NIAC calls on Iranian Government to End Political
Detentions and Violence Against Protesters: The National
Iranian American Council remains deeply concerned about the
deteriorating human rights situation in Iran since the
country,s disputed elections on June 12. Disturbing accounts
of continued violence and widespread intimidation and
harassment of Iranian citizens by the Basij militia and other
elements of Iran,s security forces continue to be received
from inside the country.

NIAC is deeply concerned about the fate of hundreds of people
detained in the post-election crisis, including opposition
figures, human rights defenders, journalists, and protesters.
Iranian authorities have carried out hundreds of
politically-motivated arrests according to human rights
organizations. Those detained are understood to be at a high
risk for torture.

NIAC calls on Iranian authorities to:

--Immediately release opposition figures, human rights
defenders, and all other persons arrested for contesting the
election results.

--Ensure those currently in detention are treated humanely.
Provide detainees immediate access to their families,
lawyers, and any medical treatment that may be needed.

--Immediately halt state-sanctioned violence against the
Iranian people. Ensure the public,s free movement, as well
as the physical safety of Iranians in their homes.

--Immediately restore communications and access to
information, including cell phones and internet. Halt
surveillance of private communications and retribution for
participation in demonstrations.

--NIAC calls on Iranian authorities to resolve its political
crisis through free democratic debate and the recognition of
the rights of Iranians to free speech and free assembly.

--NIAC also calls on Iran,s trading partners to demand an
end to government sponsored violence.

--NIAC will continue to monitor the human rights situation in
Iran as a major concern for the Iranian-American community.
NIAC will work with governmental and nongovernmental actors
in the United States and around the world to elevate this
issue as a priority for the world community.

(
CLINTON