Iranian police arrest 109 in protests

November 7, 2009

Iranian police arrested 109 people in Tehran during opposition protests which took place alongside an official demonstration to mark thirty years of the storming of the United States embassy during the Iranian Revolution in 1979, according to the capital's police chief.

The Mehr news agency quoted General Azizollah Rajabzadeh as saying: "A hundred and nine people were arrested. Forty-seven were released on bail and 62 are in prison and their files are with the judicial authorities." He also said that of the 62 still held in detention, 43 are men and 19 women. The rest of the people arrested have been released after questioning.

Witnesses told reporters that the police had fired tear gas and used batons on them during Wednesday's demonstrations. The government backed their actions on the grounds that the demonstrations were illegal.

The opposition has been mounting demonstrations&mdash;during which at least thirty people have been killed&mdash;since the Presidential elections in June, which they accuse of being rigged. Thousands of protesters have been arrested, and around 200 are still in prison. Three opposition activists have been sentenced to death.