Tehran chief of police defended the actions of security forces on November 4 claiming all confrontations with election protesters on this day were completely "legal."

On November 4, the day Iran's protesters to the alleged fraudulent re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took to the streets once more to voice their demands, police and officials in plain clothes attacked the gatherings with tear gas bombs and batons.

Armed plain clothes security forces in the streets of Tehran have confronted the post-election protesters (file photo - see high resolution)

According to the police, 109 people were arrested, majority of which were released the following day. However, human rights groups claims the number of detainees far exceed the official reports.

ILNA reports Brigadier-General Alireza Alipour told reporters today that none of the officers "committed any violations" on November 4.

These remarks come at a time when even the conservative speaker of the parliament, Ali Larijani declared the actions of the police against the protesters was not "worthy of the Islamic Republic."

MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, Iran's two opposition leaders also condemned the violence against protesters and especially women at their third meeting on Friday.

Tehran's chief of police responded to these criticisms saying: "the police is not attached to this or that faction and the confrontations on November 4th were completely legal."

The force has been especially grilled over the amateur video posted on the web showing a Special Forces guard beating a young woman on the head with a baton in the November 4 events.

Brigadier General Alipour claimed: "Be certain these images were not connected with November 4th events."

... Payvand News - 11/15/09 ... --