The fourth mass trial of those accused of planning and involvement in the riots following Iran’s disputed election has opened in Tehran.

Among those in the dock is Saeed Hajjarian the former deputy intelligence minister turned prominent member of the reform movement. Prosecutors have called for him to be handed the “maximum punishment”, in this case death. Hajjarian, disabled after an assassination attempt in 2000, is one of the many former officials who held positions in the previous government of President Mohammad Khatami to stand trial. Khatami backed moderate leader Mirhossein Mousavi in the election won by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Critics of Iran’s June election and subsequent trials believe Ahmadinejad wants to crush the moderate opposition.More about: Iran

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