TEHERAN - MORE than 100 reformists were arrested on Saturday night after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidential election victory led to street protests, leading reformist Mohammad Ali Abtahi told Reuters on Sunday.
A judiciary spokesman said they had not been arrested but were summoned and 'warned not to increase tension'. They were later released, he said.
IRANIAN and Western analysts said Mr Ahmadinejad's re-election would disappoint Western powers aiming to convince Iran to halt a nuclear programme they suspect is aimed at making bombs, and could further complicate efforts by US President Barack Obama to reach out to Teheran.
'It doesn't augur well for an early and peaceful settlement of the nuclear dispute,' said Mark Fitzpatrick at London's International Institute for Strategic Studies.
TEHERAN - THE main mobile telephone network in Iran was cut in the capital Tehran Saturday evening while popular Internet websites Facebook and YouTube also appeared to be blocked, correspondents said.
The communication cuts came after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a landslide re-election victory, sparking rioting in the streets by opposition supporters who claimed the result had been rigged.
Thousands of people clashed with police on Saturday after the disputed election victory of Mr Ahmadinejad sparked the biggest protests in Teheran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Iranian and Western analysts said Mr Ahmadinejad's re-election would disappoint Western powers aiming to persuade Iran to halt a nuclear programme they suspect is aimed at making bombs.
The arrested reformists were members of Iran's leading reformist party Mosharekat and included Mohammad Reza Khatami the brother of former President Mohammad Khatami.
Mr Abtahi, a former vice-president, told Reuters: 'They were taken from their homes last night.' He said more arrests were expected.
Saturday's protests were a rare direct challenge to Iranian authorities. The election result and its violent aftermath raised fresh questions about the direction of Iranian policies at a time when US President Barack Obama wants to improve relations with Iran.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Iranians to respect Mr Ahmadinejad's victory, which upset expectations that reformist candidate Mirhossein Mousavi might win the contest.
Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli, an Ahmadinejad ally, declared the president had been re-elected with 62.6 per cent of the vote, against 33.7 per cent for Mr Mousavi.
Mr Mousavi complained of violations and vote-rigging - allegations rejected by Interior Ministry officials.
The result of such performance by some officials will jeopardise the pillars of the Islamic Republic and will establish tyranny,' Mr Mousavi said in a statement made available to Reuters. -- REUTERS
