Opposition leaders in Iran are calling on the country's top clerics tohelp end the crackdown that followed massive protests of Iran's June 12elections.
Defeated presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousaviand Mehdi Karroubi, along with former president Mohammad Khatami, senta letter to clerics in the holy city of Qom Saturday, comparing thecrackdown to the violent methods employed by the former shah beforethe 1979 Islamic revolution.
A statement posted by Karroubion his Internet site went even further, accusing Iranian securityagents of using tactics more brutal than those he said were employed bythe Israelis against the Palestinians.
Rights groups sayhundreds of people were detained during the post-election crackdown. At least 20 people were reported killed during the protests.
Onereformist Web site Saturday said one of the protesters in custody hasdied. He was said to be the son of an advisor to another defeatedpresidential candidate, Mohsen Rezaie.
Mousavi and Karroubi saythe June 12 vote was rigged, but Iran's powerful Guardian Council hassince upheld the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Humanrights supporters gathered in about 80 cities around the worldSaturday, echoing the calls for Iran's leadership to end the crackdown.
Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi was expected to speak at one of the rallies in Amsterdam.