Iran's Presidential Election
Iranians went to the voting booth today, Friday, June 12th, for their 10th presidential election since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Their decision today is largely whether to keep hard-line president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power for four more years, or to replace him with a reformist more open to loosening the country's Islamic restrictions and improving ties with the United States. Ahmadinejad's leading opponent is Mir Hossein Mousavi, a former Prime Minister of Iran. Mousavi's campaign was propelled in recent weeks by young voters using high-tech campaign tactics (over 66% of Iranians are under the age of 30). Iran's presidential elections are tightly controlled, and, once elected, the office holder has limited power, but it remains the highest position determined by popular vote. Collected here are several photos from the past few weeks in Iran
Collected , Edited And Report By:
Pilot / Tarek Elagamy
A supporter of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad displays her hand painted with the Iranian flag, also used as a sign for his party, at his final election campaign rally, on Azadi street in western Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, June 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
2Supporters of main challenger and reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi shout amidst a festive atmosphere at an election rally at the Heidarnia stadium in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) #
3Supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi, presidential candidate for Iran, gather during a campaign rally at Haydarniya Stadium on June 9, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid/Getty Images) #
4Mir Hossein Mousavi, the former prime minister and presidential candidate, gestures to the crowd during his election rally in Tehran, Iran, on Monday, June 8, 2009. (Ramin Talaie/Bloomberg News) #
5A supporter of the leading reformist Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, holds his poster, during a street rally in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) #
6A supporter of Iranian Presidential candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shows a campaign sign to supporters of Ahmadinejad's rival, Mirhossein Mousavi, during the final night of campaigning on the streets of north Tehran June 10, 2009 before elections on Friday. (REUTERS/Caren Firouz) #
7A man decorated with pictures of Iranian President and candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attends Ahmadinejad's address to supporters in front of the Sharif University in Tehran in this June 10, 2009 photo. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj) #
8A wheelchair-bound supporter of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is lifted above the crowd at his final election campaign rally, on Azadi street in western Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, June 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) #
9Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and presidential candidate gestures as he addresses supporters during a rally in Tehran June 10, 2009. (REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah) #
10A supporter of current president and candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad waves a flag with a religious sign while he holds the president's poster during the final rally on Azadi street in front of the Sharif university mosque in west Tehran, Wednesday, June 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) #
11A cleric is seen in front of the national flag as he listens to Iranian President and candidate for the upcoming presidential election Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressing supporters in front of the Sharif University in Tehran June 10, 2009. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj) #
12A supporter of Iran's former Parliament speaker and presidential candidate Mehdi Karoubi holds his poster during a campaign rally in Tehran June 10, 2009. (REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl) #
13A supporter of Iran's former Prime Minister Mirhossein Mousavi, a candidate in the presidential elections, holds a banner during a gathering near Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) monument on the last day of campaigning June 10, 2009. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj) #
14Supporters of the leading reformist Iranian presidential candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, attend an electoral campaign gathering in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) #
15A supporter of candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi holds up a painted hand during a campaign rally at Haydarniya Stadium on June 9, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid/Getty Images) #
16Supporters of former Mir Hossein Mousavi wear the green colors of the campaign as they attend a pre-election gathering at a stadium in Tehran June 9, 2009. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj) #
17An Iranian woman holds her ballot at a mosque transformed into a polling station in Tehran on June 12, 2009. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images) #
18An woman arrives at a polling station during the Iranian presidential election in Tehran June 12, 2009. (REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah) #
19Iranian presidential candidate Mehdi Karoubi listens to a question during a news conference in Tehran June 9, 2009. (REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi) #
20A young supporter of Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi holds a campaign poster at a campaign rally on June 9, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid/Getty Images) #
21Backers of former Prime Minister Mirhossein Mousavi hold up his photograph and show victory signs during a pre-election gathering at a stadium in Tehran on June 9, 2009. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/Files) #
22A supporter of presidential candidate, Mahdi Karroubi, chants slogans, with stickers on her face and head scarf reading "change for Iran" at a campaign gathering in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 9, 2009. Karroubi, a challenger to the hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is a former parliament speaker and the only cleric in the June 12 election race. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) #
23Supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi gather near Tehran's Azadi monument on the last day of campaigning June 10, 2009. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj) #
24A woman raises her arms while she attends a campaign rally for Mir Hossein Mousavi at Haydarniya Stadium on June 9, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid/Getty Images) #
25Iranian presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei gestures as his inked finger is seen after voting in Tehran, Iran on Friday June, 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Iranian Students News Agency, Arash Khamushi) #
26An Iranian cleric combs his beard as he waits with others to vote at the shrine of Hazrat-e Massoumeh, granddaughter of Prophet Mohammad in the city of Qom, 120 km (75 miles) south of Tehran, June 12, 2009. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj) #
27Supporters of Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi pause while distributing his posters on June 10, 2009 in Khoramabad, Iran. (Majid/Getty Images) #
28A backer of Iran's president and presidential candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attends an election campaign rally in Tehran June 8, 2009. (REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah) #
29A supporter of reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi forms a heart shape with her hands, while wearing green ribbons - the color of the party, amidst a festive atmosphere at an election rally rally in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) #
30An Iranian women recites the holy Quran as she stands in line to cast her vote at the Masoumeh shrine in Qom, Iran on Friday, June 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) #
31Iranian men stand in line at a mosque as they wait to vote in the presidential elections in Tehran, Iran, on Friday, June 12, 2009. (Ramin Talaie/Bloomberg News)#
32A woman casts her vote to elect the new president of Iran in a mosque transformed into a polling station in Tehran on June 12, 2009. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images) #
33A woman shows the ink on her finger after casting her ballot for the Iranian presidential election in Tehran June 12, 2009. (REUTERS/Caren Firouz) #
34Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks live on television after casting his ballot in the Iranian presidential election in Tehran June 12, 2009. The post of Supreme Leader is Iran's highest ranking political and religious authority - higher than the office of the president - and is elected by Iran's 86-member Islamic "Assembly of Experts", not by popular vote. (REUTERS/Caren Firouz) #
35Supporters of main challenger and reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi flash the victory sign and hold flowers above their heads amidst a festive atmosphere at an election rally at the Heidarnia stadium in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) #
Iran's Disputed Election
Following up from last Friday's entry about Iran's Presidential Election, Tehran and other cities have seen the largest street protests and rioting since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Supporters of reform candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, upset at their announced loss and suspicions of voter fraud, took to the streets both peacefully and, in some cases, violently to vent their frustrations. Iranian security forces and hardline volunteer militia members responded with force and arrests, attempting to stamp out the protests - meanwhile, thousands of Iranians who were happy with the election outcome staged their own victory demonstrations. Mousavi himself has been encouraging peaceful demonstrations, and called for calm at a large demonstration today (held in defiance of an official ban), as Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has just called for an official inquiry into accusations of election irregularities.
A supporter of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi shouts slogans during riots in Tehran on June 13, 2009. Hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared winner by a landslide in Iran's hotly-disputed presidential vote, triggering riots by opposition supporters and furious complaints of cheating from his defeated rivals. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images)
2Supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi march through Valiasr Street during riots in Tehran on June 13, 2009. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images) #
3Protestors set fires in a main street in Tehran, Iran in the early hours of Monday, June 15, 2009. Iran's supreme leader ordered Monday an investigation into allegations of election fraud, marking a stunning turnaround by the country's most powerful figure and offering hope to opposition forces who have waged street clashes to protest the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (AP Photo) #
4Young men run past a burning bus during a riot in Tehran on June 13, 2009. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images) #
5A riot-police officer strikes a man with a baton near Tehran University on June 14, 2009. Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi said on Sunday he has asked the powerful Guardians Council to cancel the result of the presidential poll, while urging his supporters to continue peaceful protests. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) #
6A man is detained by Iranian riot-police in front of Tehran University during riots in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo) #
7Iranian students, supporters of presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, try to keep clear of tear gas being lobbed back and forth at the main entrance of Tehran University during riots on Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo) #
8Students, supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi demonstrate at the main entrance of Tehran University during riots on Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo) #
9Iranian supporters of reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi gather on the streets protesting the results of the Iranian presidential election in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, June 13, 2009. (AP photo) #
10Members of the Iranian hardline volunteer Basij militia begin to enter Tehran University where supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi were protesting against the latest election's results at Tehran's University on June 14, 2009. (AFP/Getty Images) #
11Supporters of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and members of the Basij militia hurl stones towards supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi who are inside Tehran University on Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo) #
12Backers of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi are beaten by government security men during riots in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo) #
13Riot policemen deploy in Tehran's Enghelab square to disperse protesters demonstrating against the election results in Tehran on June 14, 2009. (AFP/Getty Images) #
14Hard-line supporters armed with batons try to break into a house where protesters found shelter in central Tehran June 14, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
15A motorcycle burns in a street of Tehran, Iran on Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP photo/Vahid Salemi) #
16An injured backer of Mir Hossein Mousavi covers his bloodied face during riots in Tehran on June 13, 2009. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images) #
17A supporter of defeated presidential candidate Mousavi is beaten by government security men as fellow supporters come to his aid during riots in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo) #
18A man with a cane gestures towards a woman on the ground during protests in central Tehran June 14, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
19Supporters of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi are followed by Iranian riot-police with batons in front of Tehran University during riots in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo) #
20Supporters of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wave Iranian and religious flags during a victory celebration in central Tehran June 14, 2009. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj) #
21Thousands of supporters of Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wave national and other coloured flags during a massive rally to celebrate his victory in the presidential elections in Tehran's Valiasr square on June 14, 2009. Ahmadinejad defended his June 12 re-election but his defeated rival, Mir Hossein Mousavi, demanded the result be scrapped, setting the stage for further tense confrontations after the authorities cracked down on opposition protests. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images) #
22Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad looks on during his first news conference after the presidential elections in Tehran June 14, 2009. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj) #
23Supporters of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wave Iranian and religious flags during a victory celebration in central Tehran June 14, 2009. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj) #
24Iranians armed with sticks and batons ride on motorcycles during protests in central Tehran June 14, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
25Iranian riot policemen kick a man in Zartusht street close to the Interior Ministry, as supporters of reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi started to gather on the streets protesting the declared results of the Iranian presidential election in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, June 13, 2009. (AP photo/STR) #
26A riot policeman hits a motorcyclist with a baton during a protest against the election results in Tehran June 14, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
27A riot-police officer sprays tear-gas at a supporter of Mir Hossein Mousavi, who is attacking him with a police stick during riots in Tehran on June 13, 2009. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images) #
28Supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi try to calm down fellow demonstrators as they rescue a bloodied riot policeman (center) who was beaten during a protest in Valiasr Street in Tehran on June 13, 2009. (BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images) #
29A backer of Mir Hossein Mousavi helps evacuate an injured riot-police officer during riots in Tehran on June 13, 2009. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images) #
30Black smoke rises above the Tehran skyline as supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi burn tires and other material in the streets as they fight running battles with police to protest the declared results of the Iranian presidential election in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, June 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) #
31A protester holds a stone during clashes with police in Tehran June 13, 2009. Thousands of people clashed with police on Saturday after the disputed election victory of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sparked the biggest protests in Tehran since the 1979 Islamic revolution. (REUTERS/Ahmed Jadalla) #
32Armed with handguns, members of the Iranian security force, in civlian clothes, fire warning shots to disperse supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi in central Tehran on June 14, 2009. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images) #
33A poster of defeated candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi is seen on the broken-down door of a room in Tehran University dormitory after it was attacked by militia forces during riots in Tehran, Iran in the early hours of Monday, June 15, 2009. Overnight, police and militia stormed the campus at the city's biggest university, ransacking dormitories and arresting dozens of students angry over what they claim was election fraud. (AP photo) #
34An image of Mir Hossein Mousavi is seen (lower left), fixed to a desk with a smashed computer monitor in a room in a Tehran University dormitory after it was attacked by militia forces during riots in Tehran, Iran in the early hours of Monday, June 15, 2009. (AP photo) #
35A man paints over campaign slogans near the headquarters of presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi in Tehran on June 13, 2009. Mousavi's name is written in green while Ahmadinejad's name is written on top of it (left) in black. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images) #
36On Monday, June 15, 2009, Iranian opposition demonstrators protest in support of defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, in Tehran. Opposition supporters defied a ban to stage a mass rally in Tehran in protest at President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's landslide election win, as Iran faced a growing international backlash over the validity of the election and the subsequent crackdown on opposition protests. (BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images) #
37Defeated reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi (center) raises his arms as he appears at an opposition demonstration in Tehran on June 15, 2009, appearing in public for the first time since an election that has divided the nation. (BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images) #
38Defying an official ban, hundreds of thousands of Iranian supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi demonstrate in Tehran on Monday, June 15, 2009. (BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images) #
Update, 2:30pm Eastern time - several photos of injured and one dead from gunshots at today's rally.
39A man lies on the back of a taxi, after being seriously injured by gunfire in an area where pro-government militia were firing shots near a rally supporting leading opposition presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 15, 2009. (AP Photo) #
40A man lies the back of a truck after being seriously injured by gunfire in an area where militia were firing shots at a rally supporting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's top opponent on Monday, June 15, 2009. (AP Photo) #
41Onlookers observe the body of a man allegedly shot by pro-government militia near a rally supporting leading opposition presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Iran's continued election turmoil
After the relatively free (if sporadic) flow of news, tweets, video and photographs from Iran the past several days, today saw a tighter clampdown, with the government officially banning foreign media from covering rallies and taking further efforts to block online communications. Though photographs from inside Iran are now more rare, there are still a few available. Collected here are three mini-collections: images of reactions from Iranians abroad and the international community, images of pro-Ahmadinejad rallies from Iran (allowed under current restrictions), and several photos from continued rallies held today in support of reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi.
London, England - Iranian protesters hold a demonstration outside the Iranian embassy in central London on June 16, 2009. (SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images)
2Ankara Turkey - Iranian residents living in Turkey show support for presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, during a protest against the Iranian presidential election results, near the Iranian embassy in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, June 16, 2009. (AP Photo//Burhan Ozbilici) #
3Kiev, Ukraine - Iranian students protest election results and post-election violence in their home country outside the Iranian embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov) #
4Paris, France - Iranians take part in a demonstration near the Iranian embassy in Paris, Tuesday June 16, 2009, protesting the outcome of the presidential election in Iran. (AP Photo/Laurent Emmanuel) #
5Athens, Greece - Iranians living in Greece hold an Iranian flag reading 'freedom' during a protest outside the Iranian embassy in Athens on June 16, 2009. (LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/Getty Images) #
6Copenhagen, Denmark - A woman holds a banner as more than 1,000 exiled Iranians and Danes Tuesday June 16, 2009 protested at the City Hall Square in Copenhagen against the elections in Iran. Among speakers were Danish politicians and leaders of the Iranian society in Denmark. (AP Photo/Peter Hove Olesen/POLFOTO) #
7Oslo, Norway - Iranian supporters of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi demonstrate outside the Iranian ambassy in Oslo on June 16, 2009. Police broke up the demonstration. (Lien, Kyrre/AFP/Getty Images) #
8New York, U.S.A. - Demonstrators protest the Iranian election results outside United Nations headquarters June 16, 2009 in New York City. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) #
9Dubai - Iranian protestors, carrying pictures of the latest clashes in Tehran streets, take part in a silent sit-in against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election outside the the Iranian Islamic Azad University in Dubai on June 16 2009. (MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/Getty Images) #
10Frankfurt, Germany - Hundreds of people demonstrate for a political change in Iran on June 16, 2009 in Frankfurt/Main, western Germany. (THOMAS LOHNES/AFP/Getty Images) #
Now, from inside Iran, photographs allowed under the new official restrictions:
11AFP photographer Olivier Laban-Mattei follows the news on TV in his hotel room in Tehran on June 16, 2009, after the Iranian authorities' decision to ban the foreign media from covering "unauthorised" rallies. The ban, which also applied to a counter-demonstration that was given the backing of the Tehran regime on June 16, came a day after the Islamic republic's disputed presidential election sparked deadly clashes. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images) #
12Supporters of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wave national flags and other banners and portraits during a rally held in Tehran's Vali Asr square on June 16, 2009. The rally, called by the Islamic Propagation Council, was staged at the same as a rival gathering by supporters of defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi. (ALIREZA SOTAKBAR/AFP/Getty Images) #
13A woman attends a state-organized rally in a square June 16, 2009 in central Tehran, Iran. Thousands attended a rally organized by Iran's clerical regime. Iran banned foreign media from covering rallies in the country and Iran's Guardian Council reportedly said that they would recount some of the votes in presidential election that critics say was unfairly won by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinehjad. (Getty Images) #
14In this image issued by the government run Fars News Agency, demonstrators attend a state-organised rally in a square in central Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 16, 2009. Thousands of people waving Iranian flags and pictures of the supreme leader massed Tuesday at a rally organized by Iran's clerical regime but the government barred foreign media from covering the rally. (AP Photo/Fars News Agency, Hamed Malekpour) #
15People hold Iranian flags high while attending a state-organized rally in a square June 16, 2009 in central Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
16Thousands attend a state-organised rally in support of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinehjad in a square June 16, 2009 in central Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
17Iranian supporters of Mahmoud Ahmadinehjad demonstrate June 16, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
And, also from inside Iran today, despite official restrictions, photographs of continued demonstrations and protests by supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi:
18Iranian supporters of defeated reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi demonstrate June 16, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. Iran banned foreign media from covering rallies in the country and Iran's Guardian Council reportedly said that they would recount some of the votes in presidential election that critics say was unfairly won by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinehjad. (Getty Images) #
20A supporter of Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi holds a picture of man injured during yesterday's clashes in Tehran during protests June 16, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
21A young supporter of candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi protests June 16, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
22In this frame grab taken from amateur video, supporters of Iranian reformist opposition leader Mir Hossien Mousavi demonstrate in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday June 16, 2009. Thousands of protesters rallied in Tehran in support of Mousavi, according to witnesses and video footage. (AP Photo/APTN, Amateur Video) #
23Supporters of presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi demonstrate June 16, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
24A police motorcycle burns as supporters of Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi protest in Valiasr Street June 16, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
25Supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi set fires during protests June 16, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
26Supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi watch a motor scooter burn during protests June 16, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
27Supporters of Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi run in the streets during protests June 16, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images)
A troubled week in Iran
In the ten days since Iran's disputed presidential election, street demonstrations have taken place every day. Iranian citizens, supporters of opposition candidates, continue to take to the streets and document what they encounter there, despite explicit government bans, the danger of arrest (many hundreds placed in custody), or possible physical harm (at least 19 deaths so far). Iranian officials maintain their stance that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the undisputed winner, and have increased restrictions and pressure on opposition members, protesters, foreign media and communication networks as they work to regain control. President Barack Obama recently stated that the government of Iran should "recognize that the world is watching." Many of the photographs here were taken and transmitted at great risk in the past week, in the hopes that others would be able to see and bear witness.
Supporters of Iran's presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi face off against riot police during a demonstration on June 20, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. Thousands of Iranians clashed with police as they defied an ultimatum from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for an end to protests over last week's disputed presidential election results. (Getty Images)
2Iranian supporters of reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi demonstrate on June 17, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
3A demonstrator heads towards Azadi Square during a rally in support of presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi in western Tehran June 15, 2009. (REUTERS/Caren Firouz) #
4hands are held up in front of supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi demonstrating on June 18, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
5A picture obatained from the election campaign website of Iran's presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, GHALAMNEWS.IR, shows his supporters cheering him during a massive rally in Tehran's Ferdowsi square June 18, 2009. (AFP/Getty Images) #
6This June 18, 2009 photo made available from Mousavi's election campaign media operation Ghalam News, shows Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, surrounded by a sea of supporters and cameras, as he addresses the crowd at a demonstration in Tehran. (AP Photo/Ghalam News, File) #
7Iranian relatives of Fatemeh Rajabpour and her daughter, who were both killed on June 15 violent protest, mourn over their grave at the Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery in Tehran on June 17, 2009. (AFP/Getty Images) #
8A supporter of Mir Hossein Mousavi raises a fist as he prepares to throw stones at riot police during a demonstration on June 20, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
9Protesters run for cover during clashes with Iranian police at a demonstration in Tehran on June 20, 2009. (ALI SAFARI/AFP/Getty Images) #
10Supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossien Mousavi run from tear gas fired by riot police during a protest in Tehran on Saturday June, 20, 2009. (AP Photo) #
11Iranian police sit on motorcycles as they face protesters during a demonstration in Tehran on June 20, 2009. (AFP/Getty Images) #
12Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, delivers his sermon in front of a picture of the late spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini, during the Friday prayers, at the Tehran University campus, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 19, 2009. Iran's supreme leader said Friday that the country's disputed presidential vote had not been rigged, sternly warning protesters of a crackdown if they continue massive demonstrations demanding a new election. (AP Photo/Hayat News Agency, Meisam Hosseini) #
13Holding posters of the late Ayatollah Khomeini and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, worshippers chant slogans, during Friday prayers, at the Tehran University campus, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Hayat News Agency, Meisam Hosseini) #
14Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, kneeling at center left, leads Friday prayers, at the Tehran University campus, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 19, 2009. Iran's declared presidential winner, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, kneels in prayer as well, directly behind Khameni. (AP Photo/Hayat News Agency, Meisam Hosseini) #
15Iranian men pray after listening to the Friday prayer sermon, delivered by the Islamic republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on June 19, 2009 at Tehran University. (OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI/AFP/Getty Images) #
16A handout picture posted on the Iranian Supreme Leader's website on June 17, 2009 shows Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (left, center) meeting with representatives of the four presidential candidates in Tehran on June 16, 2009. (AFP/Getty Images) #
17In this photograph posted on the internet, protesters clash with riot police at an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran on Saturday June 20, 2009. (AP Photo) #
18A member of a pro-government Basij militia throws a rock from the group's building in the direction of demonstrators as they approach the militia's base, near a rally supporting leading opposition presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi in Tehran, Iran on Monday June 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) #
19An Iranian protester stands next to a burning bus during clashes with Iranian police at a demonstration in Tehran on June 20, 2009. (ALI SAFARI/AFP/Getty Images) #
20Supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi set burning barricades in the streets and chant slogans as they protest during a demonstration on June 20, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
21Supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi overtake an intersection in Tehran, Iran as they set burning barricades in the streets during a demonstration on June 20, 2009. (Getty Images) #
22Iranian security forces and Basij militia retake control of an intersection (seen in previous photo) in Tehran, Iran after disrupting a demonstration on June 20, 2009. (Getty Images) #
23Supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi take a break from demonstrating on June 18, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
24Backers of Mir Hossein Mousavi throw stones at riot police during a demonstration in Tehran on June 20, 2009. (AFP/Getty Images) #
25Supporters of reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi demonstrate on June 18, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
26A supporter of reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi looks up as she passes below the photographer during a demonstration on June 17, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
27Iranian protesters run for cover during clashes with riot police in Tehran on June 20, 2009. (ALI SAFARI/AFP/Getty Images) #
28In this photograph posted on the internet, two Iranian women take cover from a cloud of either tear gas or smoke at an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran Saturday June 20, 2009. (AP Photo) #
29Iranian protesters cover their face from tear gas during clashes with riot police in Tehran on June 20, 2009. (ALI SAFARI/AFP/Getty Images) #
30In this series of four photographs, supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi confront riot police and Basij militia members in Tehran, Iran on June 20, 2009. In the top photograph, the man at far right brandishes a handgun that he apparently just fired into the air. In the second photo, protesters approach in spite of the brandished gun - the man in the gray shirt apparently comes too close, and in photo three, he is attacked by a member of the militia. Photo four shows an apparent retreat of militia members as stone-throwing protesters advance on them. (All photos by Getty Images) #
31In this photograph posted on the internet, a wounded man is treated on the street by others in Tehran, Iran on Saturday June 20, 2009. (AP Photo) #
32A supporter of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi shows her hand, covered in the blood of a wounded person during a demonstration on June 20, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images) #
33In this photograph posted on the internet, an Iranian woman carries rocks at an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran Saturday June 20, 2009. (AP Photo) #
34A screen grab taken on June 21, 2009 from a video posted on YouTube reportedly shows Iranian men trying to help a wounded woman named "Neda" after she was shot in the chest during a protest in Tehran on June 20, 2009. She died only moments later. Neda Soltani has become an iconic figure among supporters of the opposition, her memorial on June 22nd was apparently disrupted by Iranian riot police (AFP/Getty Images) #
35In this photograph posted on the internet, Iranian riot police clash with demonstrators in Tehran, Iran Saturday June 20, 2009. (AP Photo) #
36In this photograph posted on the internet, an Iranian protestor flashes the victory sign from behind a public trash bin set on fire at an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran Saturday June 20, 2009. (AP Photo) #
38A picture obtained on June 21, 2009 shows Iranian riot police bloc
Three days in Iran
Supporters of the opposition to Iran's current ruling regime continue to gather, speak out, and protest - despite the risks of imprisonment, injury or death, and the continued official restrictions on foreign media coverage. On December 21st, 2009, thousands of Iranians attended a funeral ceremony for Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, the spiritual father of Iran's reform movement, who had passed away at the age of 87. In the days following the funeral, mourners and protesters took to the streets defying an official ban on such memorial services. On the Muslim holy day of Ashoura, December 27th, protesters and riot police clashed in multiple locations in Tehran, leaving many injured and between 8 and 37 protesters killed, including the nephew of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi. Days later, on December 30th, the Iranian government organized its own protest - against the opposition - giving all civil servants the day off to attend, providing dozens of buses and free chocolate milk for demonstrators. Collected here are photos from the three days, most taken by anonymous photographers, acquired outside the country by press agencies who are restricted by the government ban.
Two pro-reform Iranian women attend the funeral ceremony of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, the spiritual father of Iran's reform movement, as they wear green headbands, the symbolic color of Iranian opposition, in the holy city of Qom, 125 km (78 mi) south of the capital Tehran, Iran on Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. Montazeri, who died Sunday at the age of 87, was a key figure in the 1979 Islamic Revolution who later accused his fellow clerical leaders of imposing dictatorship in the name of Islam. (AP Photo)
2Iranians follow a truck transporting the coffin of dissident cleric Ayatollah Hossein Ali Mintazeri in the Shi'ite holy city of Qom, Iran on December 21, 2009. Large crowds of mourners chanted anti-government slogans during the funeral of Iran's leading dissident cleric Montazeri in the holy city of Qom on Monday, websites reported. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
3Crowds of Iranians attend the funeral ceremony Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri in Qom, Iran on December 21, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
4Pro-reform Iranians hold up photographs and green banners as they attend the funeral ceremony of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, in the city of Qom, Iran, Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. (AP Photo) #
December 27
5Iranian protesters hold a rally on the Shi'ite mourning day of Ashoura in central Tehran, Iran December 27, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
6Iranian riot police officers on their bikes during anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009. (AP Photo) #
7Iranian riot police run towards opposition protesters during clashes in central Tehran December 27, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
8Iranian riot police officers carrying stones and batons follow protesters, during an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009. (AP Photo) #
9A protester throws a stone at riot police during fierce clashes in central Tehran on December 27, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
10A teargas canister, fired towards Iranian opposition supporters, is thrown back during clashes with security forces in Tehran on December 27, 2009. (AFP/Getty Images) #
11Iranian security forces on motorcycles surround opposition protesters during clashes in Tehran on December 27, 2009. (AFP/Getty Images) #
12Iranian opposition supporters beat police forces during clashes in central Tehran December 27, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
13An Iranian protester flashes the victory sign during anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009. (AP Photo) #
14Iranian protesters flash the victory sign, as they cover their faces to avoid to be identified by security during anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009. (AP Photo) #
15An injured Iranian opposition supporter gives a V-sign during clashes with security forces in Tehran on December 27, 2009. (AMIR SADEGHI/AFP/Getty Images)#
16Police motorcycles burn as an Iranian opposition protester aims a stone at security forces trapped against storefronts by a crowd during clashes in Tehran on December 27, 2009. (AFP/Getty Images) #
17A protester throws a stone at riot police as protesters set their motorbikes on fire during fierce clashes in central Tehran, Iran on December 27, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
18A dead body of a man who allegedly was shot during anti-government protest at the Enqelab (Revolution) St. in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009. (AP Photo)#
19Iranian protesters take a policeman away to a safe place after he was beaten by angry protesters during fierce clashes in central Tehran December 27, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
20Injured members of an Iranian security service sit protected by Iranian opposition supporters during clashes with security forces in Tehran on December 27, 2009. (AMIR SADEGHI/AFP/Getty Images) #
21An Iranian riot police officer, center, is held aloft by protesters as they put a green scarf, a symbolic color of the opposition, on his head after their clash during anti-government protest at the Enqelab (Revolution) St. in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009. (AP Photo) #
22An opposition supporter covers his face with his bloodstained hand during clashes with security forces in Tehran on December 27, 2009. (AMIR SADEGHI/AFP/Getty Images) #
24An Iranian opposition supporter gestures during clashes with security forces in Tehran on December 27, 2009. (AMIR SADEGHI/AFP/Getty Images) #
25Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi (center) receives condolences for the death of his nephew Seyed Ali Habibi-Mousavi in Tehran. Seyed Ali Habibi-Mousavi, the 35-year-old nephew of Mir Hossein Mousavi, was shot dead in Tehran during protests on December 27 which turned into the bloodiest showdown between opposition protesters and security forces in months. Iranian police said on December 29 that "terrorists" killed the nephew of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi in an incident unrelated to anti-government riots. (Arash Ashourinia/AFP/Getty Images) #
December 30
26A supporter of the Iranian government waves the flag of Iran as he takes part in a protest against the opposition demonstration during holy day of Ashoura in Tehran December, 30 2009. The demonstration in Tehran's Enghelab square was one of several massive rallies in major Iranian cities, called for by clerics, seminary schools and the armed forces in response to a string of opposition protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed June re-election. (REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl) #
27Pro-government Iranian demonstrators gather in a rally at the Enqelab (Revolution) Sq. in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) #
28Pro-government Iranian demonstrators gather in a rally at the Enqelab (Revolution) Sq. in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) #
29A large crowd of supporters of Iran's regime take to the streets in Tehran on December 30, 2009, in a show of force against the opposition which it accuses of being "pawns of the enemies." (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images) #
30Government supporters hold placards and pictures of Iran's late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in protest against opposition demonstrations during Ashoura in Tehran December 30, 2009. (REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl) #
31Iranian demonstrators sign a scroll to deliver to the judiciary chief, condemning the opposition leaders, in a pro-government rally at the Enqelab (Revolution) Sq. in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) #
32Supporters of Iran's regime carry a banner of the US, UK and Israeli flags as they take to the streets in Tehran on December 30, 2009. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images) #
33Female supporters of Iran's regime hold up a portrait of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (right) and founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei, as they take to the streets in Tehran on December 30, 2009.
Collected , Edited And Report By:
Pilot / Tarek Elagamy
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