Report Source: Radio Zamaneh

Iran's former president, Mohammad Khatami criticized the "restricted atmosphere" of the country in a meeting with Scientific Society of Elm-o-Sanat University.

ILNA reports that the opposition leader expressed his disappointment at the "martial management" of the country and maintained that this mode of operation is causing the society "irreparable damage."

In the past five months, to counter people's protests to the alleged fraud in June presidential elections, the government has arrested over four thousand protesters and numerous university students have been suspended or expelled from university.

Mohammad Khatami also condemned the violence and pressure exercised by the State in their treatment of protesters.

The former president added: "When students, professors, experts and artists as well as intellectual, experienced and veteran forces, even those who accept the constitution are slandered and made the object of baseless accusations, unfortunately certain slogans appear in the scene that we do not approve of and they weaken the system and damge Iran both internally and abroad."

Some anti-regime slogans chanted during election protests have been cited by government hardliners to accuse reformist leaders of playing into the hands of the enemies of the Islamic Republic.

Mohammad Khatami emphasized that the only cause of the current situation is "lack of respect for the people and portraying people's protests and criticisms as sedition."

Iranian opposition leaders repeatedly maintain that people's protests are geared toward reform within the system and not a complete overhaul of the system.

... Payvand News - 11/14/09 ... --

Bookmark/Share this post with:
Delicious | Digg | Facebook | Furl | Google | Magnolia | Newsvine | Reddit | Yahoo