14 DAY TRIAL // The Iran protests continue to escalate and have seen their most violent days over the weekend. Social media played a key role in informing the world about the events and the presidential opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has recently posted a note on his Facebook account acknowledging its importance. “Today you are the media, it is your duty to report and keep the hope alive,” the Facebook status update attributed to Mousavi says.
Further emphasizing the change towards 'citizen reporting' and the shift from traditional media was the fact that the candidate's latest statement was also posted on his Facebook account and not released to the public through usual channels like a press release.
“If the large volume of cheating and vote rigging, which has set fire to the hays of people’s anger, is expressed as the evidence of fairness, the republican nature of the state will be killed and in practice, the ideology that Islam and Republicanism are incompatible will be proven,” the post, translated by the Neo-Resisance blog, reads. “I continue to strongly believe that the request for annulling the vote and repeating the election is a definite right that has to be considered by impartial and nationally trusted delegation.”
Mousavi is also asking the government to stop the violent crackdowns on the protests and allow them to continue peacefully. “We advise the authorities, to calm down the streets. Based on article 27 of the constitution, not only provide space for peaceful protest, but also encourage such gatherings,” he writes. “Before voices turn into shouting, let them be heard in reasonable debates. Let the press criticize, and write the news as they happen.”
The violences show no evidence of slowing down, and countless YouTube videos depicting the most recent events popped up over the weekend, with reports indicating ten people were killed and over 100 injured just on Saturday.