The trial of over 100 reformist leaders, associates of Rafsanjani and Khatami, charged with instigating the post-election protests, recently opened in Iran.
Among the defendants are Mohammad Ali Abtahi (who was vice-president under in Khatami), Mohammad Atrianfar, an associate of Rafsanjani, former deputy FM Mohsen Aminzadeh, former deputy interior minister Mostafa Tajzadeh, and members of the reformist Sixth Majlis, such as former parliament speaker Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, former national security committee chairman Mohsen Mirdamadi, and former deputy parliament speaker Behzad Nabavi.
The editor of the pro-Ahmadinejad daily Kayhan, Hossein Shariatmadari, and the pro-Ahmadinejad website Jahan News called on the Iranian authorities to also prosecute the "leaders of the civil war" (meaning Rafsanjani, Khatami, Mousavi and Karroubi).
Khatami and Rafsanjani have denied the validity of the confessions presented by the state prosecution in the reformists' trial.
Source: Kayhan, Baran, Jahan news, Fars (Iran), August 2, 2009; Aftab (Iran), August 1, 2009
