Germany's Merkel urges Iranian election recount

BERLIN (Reuters) - The Iranian leadership must allow peaceful protests and recount votes cast in its disputed presidential election, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday.

"Germany is on the side of the Iranian people, who want to exercise their rights of freedom of expression and free assembly," she said in a statement.

Merkel called on Iran to refrain from using violence against demonstrators, free detained opposition members, allow free media reporting and conduct a recount of votes in the election.

Later at a news conference, Merkel said Iran could earn trust from the international community by inviting observers to oversee a vote recount.

"One could eliminate doubt, very well I believe, by simply repeating the count transparently and if needed also with international observers. And then trust could grow," she said.

The German chancellor was the first leader of a major Western power to publicly demand a recount.

Mass protests erupted in Tehran after official figures showed hardline incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won the election by a landslide. His main opponent, reformer Mirhossein Mousavi, says the vote was rigged. The government denies the charge.

(Reporting by Brian Rohan; Editing by Janet Lawrence)