Trita Parsi on the Iranian Opposition: Nothing Is Over: Via The Washington Independent.

The regime crackdown has broken up the large demonstrations and the international media has largely moved on — enabled unintentionally by Michael Jackson’s death — but don’t think the Iranian opposition is done for, according to Trita Parsi of the National Iranian American Council. Parsi just held a conference call to reinforce the point. “The is not one-trick pony … and it’s not just street demonstrations,” Parsi said. While the crackdown has left the opposition with the sensible calculation that assembling in the streets would be tantamount to a suicide wish, the opposition still has a potent weapon: “Ahmadinejad and Khamenei himself have lost a significant amount of legitimacy in the eyes of average Iranians.”
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Iran:Ayatollah Khamenei's Speech Gives Legitimacy to Police Brutality, Charges Amnesty International: Via Amnesty International.

Human Rights Organization Urges Iranian Authorities to Protect Right to Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Speech

Contact: AIUSA media office, 202-544-0200 x302, lspann@aiusa.org

(Washington) -- This morning’s speech by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, indicates the authorities’ readiness to launch violent crackdowns if people continue to protest which may cause a widespread loss of life, Amnesty International said today.

"We are extremely disturbed at statements made by Ayatollah Khamenei which seem to give the green light to security forces to violently handle protesters exercising their right to demonstrate and express their views," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa program.

"If large numbers of people take to the street in protests in the next couple of days, we fear that they will face arbitrary arrest and excessive use of force, as has happened in recent days, particularly as permission for a demonstration to be held in Tehran on Saturday, June 20, has been denied."
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