Enghelab Square 'hatred' rally wants opposition chiefs dead

Thousands of Iran regime loyalists poured on to the streets of Tehran Friday, demanding that opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi be hanged for their "rebellion." "Death to Mousavi! Death to Karroubi! Mousavi, Karroubi should be hanged!" worshippers chanted as they emerged from Friday prayers at Tehran University to join large crowds of loyalists marching towards prominent Enghelab Square (Revolution Square.).Many among the vast crowds were carrying posters of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and chanting "Allahu Akbar!" (God is greatest) as they railed against Mousavi and Karroubi, both former pillars of the Islamic regime.In his Friday prayer sermon, hardline cleric and head of the powerful Guardians Council, Ayatollah Ahmad Janati, demanded total isolation of Mousavi and Karroubi as worshippers chanted "American servants, shame on you!"

Janati said the judiciary must "cut access (of Mousavi and Karroubi) with the people completely, the doors of their homes must be shut... so that they can't receive and give messages, their phones... Internet must be cut and they be imprisoned in their homes."

In their final declaration the organisers of what was billed as a "hatred" rally demanded "harshest punishment to the heads of sedition" and labelled them as "corrupt on earth", a crime punishable by death under Iran's penal code."We earnestly ask the judiciary to pursue the complaints and by prosecuting Mousavi and Karroubi... punish the treacherous actions of mercenaries of arrogance (the West)," said the declaration carried by state news agency IRNA.

The two leaders are already under de facto house arrest but have regularly managed to issue statements which have freshly fuelled unrest in Tehran as seen on Monday when their supporters clashed with security forces, leaving two dead.On Wednesday, judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani issued a stern warning to the two men, saying steps were being taken to block their communication networks.

"The treason committed by the movement of sedition leaders is not hidden from anyone," Larijani said."This group which has rebelled against the religious government should know that while maintaining Islamic compassion we will not tolerate the establishment being compromised."

The latest outburst against Mousavi and Karroubi erupted after their supporters came out on Tehran streets Monday and staged an anti-government demonstration under the pretext of showing solidarity to Arab uprisings.