Former Iranian Prez Lashes 'Show Trial'

(NEWSER) - As his adversaries faced a mass court hearing condemned as a show trial, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was formally endorsed today for a second term as president of Iran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei conducted the ceremony, which Mir Hossein Mousavi and other opposition figures boycotted. The endorsement came after state television screened courtroom confessions by two prominent reformists, who said they had "changed" since their arrest. They added that they had not been tortured, as supporters alleged. More»

Tear gas, beatings mark 30th anniversary of US Embassy takeover

(AP) - Iranian security forces beat anti-government protesters with batons and fired tear gas today on the sidelines of state-sanctioned rallies in Tehran to mark the 30th anniversary of the US Embassy takeover. While pro-government demonstrators chanted "death to America" outside the former embassy, opposition marchers nearby cried "death to the dictator." Security forces swept through several hundred demonstrators in the city center, clubbing, kicking, and slapping protesters. More»

(NEWSER) - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been sworn in for a second term as president of Iran, one day after the White House finally announced that the US recognized him as the country's elected leader. In his inaugural address, Ahmadinejad took a swipe at the US and European nations that "decided to recognize but not congratulate the new government. Well, no one in Iran is waiting for your messages," he added. More»

(NEWSER) - Iranian police beat demonstrators gathered in a Tehran cemetery to mourn victims of post-election violence, including Neda Agha-Soltan—the 26-year-old whose killing was witnessed by hundreds of thousands on YouTube. A witness told Reuters that some mourners were arrested. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi defied threats from the Revolutionary Guards and tried to attend the ceremony, but he was forced back into his car minutes after arriving. More»

(NEWSER) - Iranian opposition candidates issued a statement today demanding an end to the “savage, shocking attacks” against protesters, and calling for the release of innocent people arrested in the government’s post-election crackdown, the New York Times reports. “The useless wave of arrests must end immediately,” read the statement, signed by Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and former president Mohammad Khatami. More»