Iranian leaders call for death to protestors

TEHRAN, Iran (AP)

Hardline Iranian lawmakers called on Tuesday for the country’s opposition leaders to face trial and be put to death, a day after clashes between opposition protesters and security forces left two people dead and dozens injured.

Tens of thousands of people turned out for the opposition rally Monday in solidarity with Egypt’s popular revolt that toppled President Hosni Mubarak after nearly 30 years in power. The demonstration was the first major show of strength from Iran’s beleaguered opposition after canceling planned rallies for the past year when authorities refused permission.

In Washington, President Barack Obama criticized the Iranian government for its harsh treatment of protesters and noted the irony of its support for Egypt’s uprisings while repressing demonstrators at home.

At an open session of parliament Tuesday, pro-government legislators demanded opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mahdi Karroubi and former reformist President Mohammad Khatami face be held responsible for the protests.

Pumping their fists in the air, the lawmakers chanted “death to Mousavi, Karroubi and Khatami.”

“We believe the people have lost their patience and demand capital punishment” for the opposition leaders, 221 lawmakers said in a statement.

Hardliners have long sought to put senior opposition figures on trial, but the calls for the death penalty signaled an escalation in their demands.

Parliament formed a special committee to review the case and decide in coming days about how the government should deal with the opposition leaders.

Iran has already tried scores of opposition figures and activists on charges of fomenting the mass protests following the country’s disputed 2009 presidential elections that saw Mahmoud Ahmadinejad win a second term. More than 80 of people were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six months to 15 years.

The opposition says scores were killed in the massive crackdown on those protests, while the government says only around 30 people died.

Obama was asked at a White House news conference about the mood of change sweeping the Middle East following the uprisings in Cairo and he singled out Iran’s attitude.

“It’s ironic that the Iranian regime is pretending to celebrate what happened in Egypt,” Obama said. “They acted in direct contrast to what happened in Egypt” by using force against demonstrators.

Iranian leaders had sought to portray the toppling of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, both secular leaders, as Islamic uprisings.

Following Monday’s opposition demonstrations, the first since December 2009, authorities vowed to move quickly to stifle the opposition before its gains momentum.