Post-election protests continue in Iran

Demonstrations have continued across Iran after weeks of unrest in the country following the controversial re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president.

The Iranian authorities have maintained their severe restrictions on the foreign media by limiting their movements and banning them from reporting from 'illegal rallies'. As a result, social media sites, such as twitter and youtube, have been used by Iranian protestors to get information, pictures and videos out of the country. Recent reports suggest that their have been many protests across Iran's major cities. Some internet users have also commented on continuing violent clashes between demonstrators and Basji militia.

Despite continued threats from the government that protests will be "smashed", Iranians, angered by what they say was a rigged election, are defiantly taking to the streets. Now, almost a month after the ballot, one internet user posted ""we know that Freedom is not free, we pay with our life", another says "It is not just democracy that is illegal in Iran".

In response to the oppostion rallies in the days following the election Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the guardian council announced a 10% recount of the vote. After this had been conducted the council concluded that Ahmadinejad was the clear winner and that no voting irregularities had occurred. This attempt to appease angry demonstrators was unsuccessful and the Iranian government has since adopted a hardline approach to protestors.


The Iranian government has also accused foreign governments of starting the protests, with attacks centred on the UK. The two countries have been involved in a diplomatic row which has seen the expulsion of both Iranian and British embassy workers and the arrest of British embassy employees in Tehran. In several speeches Iran's top clerics have condemned British 'imperialism' and accused Britain of inspiring the anti-government demonstrations. In a speech at Friday prayer's in Tehran's university, Ayatollah Khamenei described the UK as "evil", after several years of nick-naming the country 'the little satan'. The US, having no diplomatic representation in Iran, has generally escaped criticism and many say this has intensified the attacks on Britain.