Iranian media report that Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor-in-chief of the Keyhan daily and a close representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader, was interrupted by protesting students while giving a speech at Tehran University on Monday December 15.
ISNA reports that Shariatmadari was speaking about the crackdown on challengers of the 2009 election results, which conservative factions of the Islamic Republic establishment refer to as “sedition”.
The students reportedly challenged the truth of Shariatmadari’s statements in their chants and expressed support for opposition leaders MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who remain under house arrest for having challenged the election results.
ISNA reports that these students were challenged in turn by chants from supporters of Hossein Shariatmadari and the daily gave no further details.
Shariatmadari was quoted as saying that even the international sanctions on Iran were suggested to the U.S. by the “leaders of sedition.”
These statements were reportedly met with jeers from the protesting students.
The U.S. has imposed widespread sanctions on Iran’s oil and financial sector in the context of the nuclear disputes with Iran.
