Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Iranian Prosecutor Says Opposition Leaders to Stand Trial

Edward Yeranian 31 December 2010

Tehran's chief prosecutor says Iranian opposition leaders will definitely stand trial for the protests that followed last year's presidential elections.

Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi made the comments Friday to worshippers who had gathered for prayers at Tehran University. He also said the U.S. and Israel had a role in the unrest.

Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have been vocal critics of the government since losing the June 2009 race to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The former presidential candidates say the election was rigged.

Separately, Iranian state-run media say the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights has agreed to investigate reports of the death of former deputy defense minister Ali Reza Asgari. He disappeared while in Turkey in 2007.

Iranian officials say they have reports that he died in an Israeli prison.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.