Iran may prevent Mousavi from forming party

Iran may prevent Iran's opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi from forming an opposition party, sources told Al Arabiya Thursday amid reports that he will attend Friday prayers in his first official public appearance since last month's disputed presidential election.

A statement posted late Wednesday on his website confirmed a media report earlier this week that he would attend the prayers at Tehran University to be led by former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a rival of re-elected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"I will join the lines (of worshippers) on Friday as I feel obliged to respond to the call of companions on the path to protecting rights to a noble and free life," Mousavi said.

 I will join the lines on Friday as I feel obliged to respond to the call of companions on the path to protecting rights to a noble and free life 

Mir Hossein Moussavi

The 67 year-old, who was Ahmadinejad's closest rival in the June 12 election, has charged that the vote was rigged and dismissed the next government as "illegitimate.” The authorities reject charges of vote fraud.

The Interior Ministry is considering blocking Mousavi from forming or heading an opposition party, sources in the ministry told Al Arabiya.

Iran's Intelligence Minister also accused reformists of planning a velvet revolution and wreaking havoc in the country after election results were announced.

Iranian religious clerics from Qom said confessions were extracted under duress and are, thus, neither legally nor religiously valid and added that the authorities promised the detainees will be released this week before the Friday sermon whose imam will be former president Hashemi Rafsanjani.