Iran's electoral body says results of vote will stand
CAIRO — Iran's top electoral body said today it found "no major fraud" and will not annul the results of the presidential election, closing the door to a do-over sought by angry opposition supporters alleging systematic vote-rigging.
Iranian government officials have repeatedly suggested that a revote is extremely unlikely. However, today's announcement by Iran's top electoral body, the Guardian Council, was the clearest yet in ruling out a new election.
The announcement on Iran's state-run English language Press TV is another sign the regime is determined to crush the post-election protests — the strongest challenge to its leadership in 30 years — rather than compromise.
Government warnings to the protesters have intensified.
Ebrahim Raisi, a top judicial official, confirmed today that a special court has been set up to deal with detained protesters. "Elements of riots must be dealt with to set an example. The judiciary will do that," he was quoted as saying by the state-run radio. The judiciary is controlled by Iran's ruling clerics.
In recent days, Iran's supreme leader has ordered demonstrators off the streets and the feared Revolutionary Guards has threatened a tough crackdown. At least 17 people have been killed in near-daily demonstrations, including at least one that drew hundreds of thousands.
In a boost for the embattled regime, Russia said today that it respects the declared election result, which the Iranian government described as a landslide victory for hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The U.S. and many European countries have refrained from challenging the election outcome directly, but have issued increasingly stern warnings against continuing violence meted out to demonstrators.
Ahmadinejad's main challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi, has charged massive fraud and insists he is the true winner.
However, the Guardian Council found "no major fraud or breach in the election," a spokesman, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, was quoted by Press TV as saying. "Therefore, there is no possibility of an annulment taking place."
