Ahmadinejad rival warns of violent showdown - CNN.com

Ahmadinejad rival warns of violent showdown - CNN.com

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's main political rival Tuesday urged his supporters to call off an election protest rally to avert possible violent clashes as thousands of the Iranian president's supporters jammed Tehran's streets.



Mir Hossein Moussavi, who claims Ahmadinejad's 62 percent victory in last week's presidential elections was rigged, made the request following mass protests a day earlier in which seven people were reportedly killed.

The call came as the country's powerful Guardian Council announced a partial vote recount, an apparent U-turn after the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei endorsed ultraconservative Ahmadinejad's win.

Moussavi rejected the recount, according to an official close to his camp, demanding fresh elections and accusing the country's religious elite of trying to further manipulate the outcome of the original vote.

As crowds took to the streets for a fourth day, Iran's Ministry of Culture slapped a ban on foreign journalists -- including CNN -- covering the rallies and other events on Tehran's streets.

Ahmadinejad's resounding election win surprised many experts who had expected Moussavi to win or put up a much stronger fight.

Moussavi, a former prime minister looked on as a reformist, enjoys tremendous support among the youth, who make up almost 60 percent of Iran's population of 70 million.

He tapped into their dissatisfaction with the faltering economy under Ahmadinejad and with an unemployment rate that tops 30 percent by some accounts. Video Watch how cyberspace is used by opposition »

But Kaveh Afrasiabi, a political scientist who supports Ahmadinejad, said the incumbent's widespread support in rural areas and small towns was the reason for his win with more than 62 percent of the vote.

Since Moussavi contested the results, his supporters have taken to the streets every day, often clashing with police and Ahmadinejad's backers.

Seven people were killed on Monday night in the capital, Tehran, after they allegedly attacked a military post near Azadi -- or Freedom -- Square, government-funded Press TV said.

The site was the same one where Moussavi had earlier in the day appealed to his supporters -- a crowd of at least 10,000. Video

Moussavi's presence was his first public appearance since the election. There, he called on authorities to stop attacks on his supporters and urged his followers to continue demonstrating peacefully.

"You are not breaking glass," he said. "You are breaking tyranny."

Though the rally was largely peaceful, one person was reportedly fatally shot when it ended.

"I could hear gunshots coming from the right-hand of the square," said Rana, a 25-year-old whom CNN is not identifying for safety reasons. "The people were terrified, because the gunshots would not stop."

CNN has not been able to independently verify the reports of casualties.

The official with the Moussavi camp confirmed the death of eight supporters, saying they were killed in clashes with Ahmadinejad supporters following the rally.

Also Tuesday, Mohammad Ali Abtahi -- a former vice president who backed presidential candidate Karrubi -- was arrested, his Web site said.

"We are waiting for his freedom and will update the site," a short post said.

By early afternoon Tuesday, the Moussavi and Ahmadinejad camps were juggling times for their respective rallies to minimize confrontations. Each had picked Vali Asr Square in central Tehran for their gatherings, with Moussavi asking supporters to not fall into the "trap" of street fights.

Since election day, several violent incidents have been blamed on Ahmadinejad backers.

On Sunday, men on motorcycles combed streets and alleys for protesters -- chasing and beating them with clubs, metal batons and baseball bats.

Later that night, a family that lives in a high-rise apartment near Moussavi's election headquarters in Tehran reported that militiamen had attacked their building.

Photos show damage to the building and nearby vehicles. A relative of one of the residents, who did not want to be named, told CNN that the attack happened after people inside the building had shouted "dictator!" and "Allahu Akbar," or "God is Great," from the windows.

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad left for Russia on Tuesday to meet with President Dmitry Medvedev.

There, he was welcomed as the "newly re-elected president of Iran," with Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov telling reporters, "the issue of elections in Iran is an internal affair of the Iranian people."

Reaction from other world leaders to the disputed election has been, for the most part, guarded.

In Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama told reporters Monday that he was "deeply troubled" by the violent protests, but said it was up to Iranians to choose their leaders.