Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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July 7, 2009

Iran Opposition Calls for Release of Detainees
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=2532392:A6F02AD83191E1605132ABCA5638E2DD21A4E82C900CD027&
 
Call was issued by defeated presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi
and Mahdi Karroubi as well as former president Mohammad Khatami
following meeting late Monday 
Iranian reformist leaders are urging authorities to release all those
detained during the unrest that followed the country's disputed
presidential election last month. Iranian reformist presidential
candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi during a press conference after polls
closed in Tehran, 12 June 2009 The call was issued by defeated
presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi as well
as former president Mohammad Khatami following a meeting late Monday. In
a joint statement, posted to Mousavi's Web site Tuesday, the three
leaders demanded an end to the harsh crackdown imposed by authorities.
Iranian police have detained more than 1,000 reformists, political
activists, journalists, and protesters during demonstrations in the
capital, Tehran. Officials say most of those arrested have been
released. Opposition supporters say there was widespread fraud in the
June 12 presidential vote. Official results say President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad won by a landslide. Meanwhile Tuesday, French President
Nicolas Sarkozy has demanded that Iran release a French woman held on
charges of spying. Mr. Sarkozy described the accusations of espionage
levied against 23-year-old student Clotilde Reiss as "pure fantasy."
French officials say Reiss was detained at Tehran airport last week on
her way home to France after five months of study. Iranian authorities
accuse her of taking part in opposition protests and sending an e-mail
to a friend that contained information on the rallies. French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner says the charges were related to pictures of
the protests that she took with her mobile phone and sent via text
message. Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and
Reuters.


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