Reformists resist Iranian government pressure

Ali Reza Beheshti, 47, a close Mousavi ally and son of one of the main leaders of the 1979 Islamic revolution, urged the parliament to reverse the election results, saying that "people expect their representatives to represent them and not to defend authorities by any means."

"I wish the lawmakers would respect the demands of the majority of their constituents" and submit a bill disqualifying the president, Beheshti was quoted as saying on the pro-Mousavi Web site, Norooznews. Beheshti, who ran Mousavi's now-banned Kalemeh newspaper, is the younger son of Ayatollah Mohammad Hossein Beheshti, Iran's top judge who was killed in a bombing in 1981.

Iran's leadership has been grappling with how to handle fallout from the elections, which critics maintain President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won by fraud.

On Sunday, the conservative Kayhan newspaper ran its second consecutive editorial targeting Mousavi and his backers, dubbing them as dangerous in comments highlighting the government's predicament.

"How should the Islamic Republic treat such groups? They would be a dangerous opposition if they were to win, and set the streets on fire if they lose," said Sunday's editorial. "The meaning of such behaviors is that they do not accept the system," or Islamic republic.

A day earlier, the paper ran another editorial by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's top aide that accused Mousavi of being an American agent and suggested he be tried for treason.

Hossein Shariatmadari, a top aide to Khamenei, called for Mousavi and former reformist President Mohammad Khatami to be tried in court for "horrible crimes and treason."

That commentary raised the possibility that Mousavi could be arrested and charged like many other pro-reform figures.

The weeks of unrest that immediately followed the vote have largely died down amid a crackdown by authorities. But reformists have pressed their cause, demanding recounts, appealing to the all-powerful Guardian Council and to the parliament.

The detention of protesters and reports of street violence have further tarnished the image of a government already criticized by many Western nations for a litany of issues — ranging from its controversial nuclear program to its foreign policy in the region.

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