IN IRAN, THE MASS PROTESTS, FOLLOWING ACCUSATIONS OF RIGGED ELECTIONS BY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES MIR HOSSEIN MOUSAVI AND MEHDI KHAROUBI, HAVE BEEN SUBSIDING IN THE WAKE OF A MASS TRIAL OF 100 REFORM MOVEMENT DISSIDENTS, TWO WEEKS AGO, DURING WHICH A FORMER VICE PRESIDENT ADMITTED, ON STATE TELEVISION, TO “HAVING CHANGED” SINCE HIS ARREST.
REGARDING ALLEGATIONS THAT SOME OF THE HUNDREDS DETAINED DURING THE OFTEN VIOLENT PROTESTS HAD BEEN ABUSED, THE PROSECUTOR GENERAL ADMITTED LAST SATURDAY THAT “MISTAKES HAD LED TO PAINFUL ACCIDENTS AND THOSE INVOLVED SHOULD BE PUNISHED”.
WITH PRESIDENT AHMEDINEJAD NOW SELECTING HIS CABINET, THE QUESTIONS OF WHETHER THE ELECTIONS HAD BEEN FREE AND WHETHER WESTERN INTERFERENCE HAD HELPED FOMENT THE POST-ELECTION UNREST WERE ADDRESSED THIS PAST TUESDAY AT A PANEL DISCUSSION ENTITLED: “IRAN AT THE CROSSROADS: NATIONAL UNITY OR REGIME CHANGE” HELD AT THE BRECHT FORUM IN MANHATTAN.
WBAI FRED NGUYEN WAS THERE AND HE FILES THIS REPORT:
