Main focus of Monday, June 15, 2009

Unrest in Iran

Following the official announcement of a landslide victory for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran's presidential elections on Friday, the opposition took to the streets to demonstrate primarily in the capital Tehran over the weekend. Ahmadinejad's rival Mir-Hossein Mousavi talked of "irregularities" in the elections and wants to challenge the result. Europe's press comments on what has been the most serious rioting in Iran in ten years.

Le Temps - Switzerland

The daily Le Temps comments on the Iranians' anger: "In the year 1999 the demonstrations of Iranian students were crushed and numerous reformers arrested. The student's spring had failed. With the controversial and disputable victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that scenario seems to be repeating itself today. … The 'green revolution' which Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the main rival of the outgoing president, embodies is being oppressed. The guardians of the revolution and the Basji [paramilitaries] have nipped the revolt in the bud. They have realised that the danger posed by a movement backed by reformers and above all youths and women … was indeed real. … Modern Iranians have often adapted themselves to leading a parallel existence to avoid the blows of truncheons and intimidations. In their anger at having to suffer so much from the consequences of a catastrophic economic policy they could be tempted not to lay down their weapons this time." (15/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Iran
All available articles from » Stéphane Bussard

La Vanguardia - Spain

The rift dividing the Iranian people cannot be overcome through force, writes the Spanish daily La Vanguardia: "In Iran there are two states that collided with each other in the elections. One that represents the theocratic and populist state, that is governed by Islamic law and wants to control everything, and one that wants to open itself up to the outside world and enjoys the support of the under-30s that make up 70 percent of the population, as well as a large sector of the women in the country. The dubious election results have highlighted the depth of the rift that has formed in the regime over 30 years. A rift which the repression that the election winner and his defender, the spiritual leader, have begun to practice will not be able to mend." (15/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Social movements, » Elections, » Iran

Dnevnik - Slovenia

The Slovenian daily Dnevnik writes on the outcome of the presidential elections in Iran: "The people who were part of the first attempt at reform that sought to alter the regime under the leadership of President Mohammad Khatami are now afraid that even the formal principles of democracy have been done away with. Suspicions that election results were tampered with are rife, and few suspect that the strict customs of the Iranian regime could be subject to the democratic will of the Iranian people. ... The state's response to the widespread mistrust is consistent with the results. Meetings, mobile phones and demonstrations have been banned, Internet access restricted and protests broken up. On Saturday evening it smelled of burning cars and tear gas in Tehran. On Sunday morning everything was back to normal. [President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad promises that Iran will remain calm at any cost." (15/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Iran
All available articles from » Ervin Hladnik-Milharcic

Magyar Nemzet - Hungary

The right-wing conservative daily Magyar Nemzet says the riots in Iran should not be taken too seriously: "Just because someone with a hand camera films a few hundred masked people running around and throwing stones and the running commentary talks of a 'national uprising' this doesn't mean it's true. There are around 16 million people living in Tehran who didn't participate in the street battles. The number of street fighters was something like a thousand. The question is always who has an interest in conveying the impression that there is a revolution in Iran. It's clear that Western television channels are covering the … riots in Tehran. The Iranian television channel Press TV, which is regarded as neutral, has reported that there are street battles but its coverage focuses on the victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the refusal of opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi to accept the election result. … Mousavi talks of electoral fraud. … Is he right? It's difficult to tell, but it's more likely that there was no electoral fraud." (15/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Iran
All available articles from » Levente Sitkei

Elsevier - Netherlands

Afshin Ellian, an exiled Iranian publicist and professor at the University of Leiden, reconstructs the events in Iran in his blog for the right-wing liberal news magazine Elsevier: "At around 4 pm on Saturday afternoon on June 13, a message by the Iranian supreme leader [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei was read out on national radio and television. Even before the electoral commission had announced the result, Khamenei congratulated President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his victory. It is clear that this is not the true outcome of these elections. The EU would do well to protest against this course of action. Challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi rightly spoke of an electoral construct, because the results quite literally had to be reconstructed. Back to Friday, June 12. On this day a state coup was staged against the election result. ... The European Union must act before it is too late. Europe must stand by the Iranian people. Democratic change in Iran will benefit Europe, America and Israel. World peace is hanging in the balance." (15/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Iran
All available articles from » Afshin Ellian

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