Supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi set fire to a barricade as they protest in Tehran on Saturday. (Associated Press) At least 10 people were killed Saturday in violent clashes in Tehran, while authorities arrested the daughter and four other relatives of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the most powerful men in Iran, state media reported.
State television reported Sunday that 10 "rioters" were killed in clashes with police during protests Saturday. The report brings the death toll вЂ" by the state's official count вЂ" to 19 during a week of post-election unrest.
Iran's Press TV, which is only broadcast outside the country, reported that 13 died Saturday and labelled them as "terrorists." There was no explanation for the discrepancy in the reports.
Amnesty International cautioned that it was "perilously hard" to verify the casualty tolls. Iran has imposed strict restrictions on journalists in the country, and has expelled almost all foreign reporters.
State media also reported that rioters set fire to two gas stations and a mosque, and also attacked a military post on Saturday. They quoted the deputy police chief claiming officers did not use live ammunition to dispel the crowds.
It is not clear if those clashes accounted for the reported deaths.
Thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran on Saturday, despite stern orders from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for the cessation of anti-government gatherings. Khamenei on Friday ordered opposition leaders to end the protests or be held responsible for any bloodshed. He said Iranians must accept the June 12 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, shown here in August 2008, has lambasted President Ahmadinejad's handling of the economy. (Vahid Salemi/Associated Press) Official results showing Ahmadinejad won by a two-to-one margin over former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi sparked a week of massive street protests by opposition supporters who allege the presidential vote was rigged.
Powerful former president
Press TV also reported that Rafsanjani's daughter, Faezeh Hashemi, was arrested late Saturday. She has spoken out in support of Mousavi and addressed his supporters at a rally on Tuesday. The identities of the four other Rafsanjani relatives who were detained were not immediately known, nor is it clear if those arrested have since been released.
Rafsanjani, 75, has spoken out repeatedly against Ahmadinejad, who in turn has accused Rafsanjani and his supporters of corruption. Rafsanjani, who heads two powerful councils, has worked alongside Mousavi throughout the election campaign.
Rafsanjani's leadership of the Assembly of Experts is particularly significant. The council is made up of senior clerics who can elect and dismiss the supreme leader. The second is the Expediency Council, a body that arbitrates disputes between parliament and the unelected Guardian Council, which can block legislation.
"Rafsanjani believes that Khamenei has lost his capability to run the country, and they have to replace him," Ali Reza Nourizadeh, the director of the London-based Centre for Arab-Iranian studies, told CBC News.
Rafsanjani has the support of a significant number of Iranians, said Nourizadeh.
"Yesterday [protesters] were chanting 'Death to Khamenei,' and that is the first time in 10 days," he said.
Meanwhile, former Iranian president Mohammed Khatami, who is also a Mousavi supporter, said Sunday that having the Guardian Council oversee the election dispute was not a solution, according to state media.
"Referring the dispute to a body which has not been impartial regarding the vote, is not a solution," Khatami said in a statement, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
With files from The Associated Press