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Iran: Hassan Rouhani supports 2009 uprising crackdown

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NCRI – Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian regime’s president, described the regime’s repressive measures in suppressing the 2009 people’s uprising as ‘epic’ and an expression of ‘loyalty to Velayat-e faqih’.

In 2009, the Iranian people poured to the streets in cities across the country to protest widespread fraud in the presidential elections. The protests quickly turned into an uprising with people calling for the downfall of the clerical regime. They chanted anti-regime slogans such as “Down with Khamenei”, “Down with the principal of Velayat-e faqih [absolute rule of clergy]”. But the peaceful protests were suppressed with utmost cruelty.

The Iranian regime organized and staged counter-rallies on 30 December (9 Day in Iranian calendar) three days after the violent crackdown of December 27 protests known as the “2009 Ashura Protests” when the security forces opened fire and killed and injured many.

Speaking to a group of officials on the anniversary of the counter-rallies, Hassan Rouhani said: “9 Day was an expression of loyalty to the principal of Velayat-e faqih… and to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

He said: “The message of this epic day was that any individual who has any say [about election results] or any criticism or objection should express it within the framework of the laws and regulations” of the regime.

In a report published in the aftermath of the 2009 election, Amnesty International described the post-election violations of human rights in Iran as among the worst in 20 years.

The report, ‘Iran: Election contested, repression compounded’ described patterns of abuse before, during and, particularly, after the June election, when the authorities deployed the Basij militia and the Revolutionary Guards to suppress mass protests against its disputed outcome.