Iran opposition leaders to attend Quds Day rally
Warned to not turn march into anti-govt protests
Iran's opposition leaders will attend the nationwide "Quds Day" rally on Friday, a reformist website reported on Wednesday, a move that could lead to fresh anti-government protests.
The June presidential election, which was followed by huge opposition protests, plunged Iran into political turmoil and exposed deepening divisions within its ruling elite.
Opposition leaders say the poll was rigged to secure President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election. The authorities deny it.
Defeated presidential candidates Mir Hussein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi said they would attend the anti-Israel rally. "Mousavi, Karroubi and former president Mohammad Khatami will participate in Friday's rally," said the reformist website, Mowjcamp.
Defying the authorities, some moderate websites have called for new anti-government protests on "Quds Day".
Witnesses said security forces had tightened control in streets leading to the prayer venue in central Tehran.
Lead by hard-line cleric
The late founder of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, declared the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as the "Quds (Jerusalem) Day" and called for nationwide rallies against Israel and in support of Palestinians.
For the past 25 years the prayers on Quds Day have been led by powerful cleric and former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is now a strong supporter of Iranian opposition groups.
But semi-official news agency Fars said that according to Masoud Moradi, the chief of Friday prayers committee, hard-line cleric Ahmad Khatami will lead the prayers this week. There will also be a talk by Ramadan Abdullah, secretary of Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, an anti-Israel group.
State media said Ahmadinejad would also address worshippers, a move which could provoke supporters of his election rivals to stage protests against the establishment.
Iranian authorities have warned that the Quds Day march should not be turned into anti-Ahmadinejad protests. Iran's all-powerful supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei too warned against using Friday's rally for anything other than demonstrating solidarity with Palestinians
Rights groups say thousands of people, including senior pro-reform figures, were arrested after the election, though most have been freed. The opposition says more than 70 people died during street protests after the vote. It contradicts the official death toll of 36 people.
Hardliners have portrayed the opposition protests as a foreign-backed bid to undermine the Islamic government system.