Mousavi should stand trial, leader says

TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Iranian opposition leaders should face trial for inciting violence and staging a so-called velvet revolution, Iranian military commanders say.

Iran descended into political turmoil in the weeks and months following the June 12 presidential election that saw Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claim a disputed victory over his closest rival, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Brig. Gen. Yadollah Javani, the head of the political bureau for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, accused Mousavi, defeated candidate Medhi Karroubi and opposition cleric and former President Mohammad Khatami of inciting a coup, state-funded Press TV reports.

"The question is who were the main plotters and agents of this coup. What is the role of Khatami, Mousavi and Karroubi in this coup?" he asked.

Iran held recent trials for several election protesters, blaming them for collaborating with foreign agents to stage a post-election revolution that led to the death of at least 30 people.

Tehran blames foreign governments, particular London and Washington, for instigating the post-election violence, though Javani says the opposition should be held accountable for the political upheaval that emerged from the civil unrest.

"If (opposition leaders) are the main suspects believed to have been behind the velvet coup in Iran, which they are, we expect the judiciary … to go after them, arrest them, put them on trial and punish them according to the law," he said.