The government of Iran swiftly kicked the machinery of repression into high gear over the last several days in response to the largest public demonstrations of opposition that country has seen in 3 decades.¹

Iranian authorities have violently cracked down on the wave of protesters who have taken to the streets since June 13^th in an act of breathtaking defiance to protest the contested results of Friday’s presidential election.

Up to 1 million people poured into the streets yesterday despite a ban on opposition protests. Basij (paramilitary) forces opened fire indiscriminately, killing at least one person and injuring several others.

According to reports, as many as five students at Tehran University were shot dead over the weekend and another person was wounded when security agents opened fire on a demonstration. Motorcycle-mounted riot police have severely beaten large numbers of protestors with clubs and night sticks.

Authorities have detained 170 people since June 12, including the brother of former President Mohammad Khatami.

Iranian authorities have taken aggressive measures to stifle dissent and stem the flow of information – both inside and outside of the country – about the widespread unrest.

While the Iranian government had granted journalists short-term visas to cover the elections, authorities have subsequently curtailed freedom of speech through blocking cell phones, text messaging, email and Web sites.²

Nonetheless, Iranian protestors have circumvented efforts to seal off the country and have succeeded in transmitting accounts of the explosive violence of the last few days to the outside world.³

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in an unprecedented announcement yesterday that an investigation into alleged election fraud would be carried out. Public protests are likely to continue as Iranian authorities attempt to resolve the hotly contested election results. And many fear that Iranian authorities will continue to respond with attempts to stamp out the demonstrations.

We need to ensure that those at the highest echelons of power in Iran are aware that, despite their best efforts at concealing their bloody crackdown, the global community is monitoring their every move.