Iran to investigate cleric, a prominent dissenter

TEHRAN, Iran – Iranian authorities launched a provocative attack on the opposition movement Tuesday by announcing a special investigation into prominent cleric Mehdi Karroubi over his accusations that security forces raped and tortured protesters following the disputed June re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The move against Karroubi, a revered figure from Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, is an attack on the heart of the opposition. It’s an indication that the government is increasing pressure on top dissenters, even clerics, and it follows the death sentences handed down in recent days against at least two anti-government protesters.

The investigation will test the resolve of the opposition and has the potential to unleash another round of street demonstrations that in recent weeks have been largely thwarted by the Revolutionary Guard and the Basiji militia.

The official Iranian news agency, IRNA, reported that “a legal case prepared by the judicial investigative committee has been sent to the Tehran prosecutor over Karroubi’s claims.”