Iran's Khamenei tells media to tone down criticism

Wed Nov 25, 2009 10:30am EST

* Khamenei tells media not to harm moderates' image

* Says moderate opposition's efforts "fruitless"



By Parisa Hafezi

TEHRAN, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Iran's highest authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told Iranian media on Wednesday not to publish anything that harms the image of leading political figures in the Islamic state, state television said.

When the June 12 presidential election returned hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power with a wide margin, his reformist opponents cried foul and thousands of Iranians took to the streets in the biggest anti-government demonstrations in the 30-year history of the Islamic Republic.

The election dispute also exposed deep rifts within the normally opaque political and religious establishment.

The conservative media have waded into the debate in recent weeks, criticising such leading figures as former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a rival of Ahmadinejad who challenged both the poll results and the authority of Khamenei, before apparently falling into line.

"Such reports that tarnish the reputation of prominent figures of the establishment are unacceptable," Khamenei told a gathering of Islamic Basij militia.

"Whether these reports are about the president or the speaker of parliament or the head of the Expediency Council," said Khamenei. Rafsanjani heads the Expediency Council of senior clerics which can in theory depose Khamenei.

"Some newspapers should avoid publishing rumours about top officials and publicising minor disputes," said Khamenei who has the final word within Iran's complex political system.

Ahmadinejad and his allies have repeatedly questioned the source of income of Rafsanjani's children, implying they had used their father's influence to accumulate wealth.



SOFT WAR

Khamenei also renewed his accusation that Western states were engaged in a "soft war" to drive a wedge between Iran's rulers and the people following the election result.

"Iran's enemies have used the vote as a pretext to stage a soft war by spreading dispute and pessimism among the nation," Khamenei said. "Their aim is to create a rift between the system and the people."

In a clear reference to the opposition leaders who say they will not give up their fight to create a freer country, Khamenei said divisive statements and measures by some people stemmed from "ignorance and negligence", and called for unity.

"Efforts of those ... who confront the system, the law and the nation's will, are fruitless," Khamenei said.

Trying to allay tension in the country, Khamenei called on his hardline supporters to avoid extreme measures.

"Because of one mistake ... we can not label people hypocrites or anti-guardianship figures," Khamenei said.

"Death to hypocrites", the Basij militiamen chanted.

The volunteer Basij, alongside the Revolutionary Guard which is fiercely loyal to Khamenei and a key powerbase for Ahmadinejad, put down the June protests and arrested thousands.

Most of have since been freed, but 81 people have so far been sentenced to jail terms of up to 15 years and five people have been sentenced to death.

The reformist opposition says more than 70 people were killed in post-election violence. Officials say the death toll was half that and included Basij militiamen. (Editing by Jon Hemming) ((Tehran newsroom, +98 21 8820 8770))

Comments (0)
This discussion is now closed. We welcome comments on our articles for a limited period after their publication.