On the streets: Mousavi supporters gather at Tehran's Azadi Square yesterday
Guardian Council to recount Iran votes
Iran's Guardian Council - the Islamic republic's top legislative body - has agreed to recount votes cast in the country's disputed presidential election, according to reports.
CNN quoted Iranian government-funded Press TV as saying the Guardian Council - which is made up of the country's leading clerics and judges and also has overall responsibility for Iran's elections - will recount votes disputed by opposition politicians.
The surprise announcement came as supporters of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and those of main opposition candidate Mirhossein Mousavi were planning rival marches - raising fears of more violence as Iran entered a fourth day of post-election unrest.
Seven people were killed last night in Tehran after they allegedly attacked a military post. Earlier in the day, another person was reportedly fatally shot at the end of a massive rally by Mousavi supporters.
Press TV said Tuesday that the seven were killed when they tried to damage a military post near Azadi, or Freedom, Square.
Reports also emerged this morning that Mohammad Ali Abtahi - a former vice president who backed another pro-reform presidential candidate, Mehdi Karrubi - was arrested.
"We are waiting for his freedom and will update the site," a short post on Abtahi's website said.
The election victory by hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad surprised many experts, who had expected Mousavi to win. Mousavi was expected to caputre Iran's youth vote - about 60% of Iran's population of 70 million is aged under 30.
But Kaveh Afrasiabi, a political scientist who supports Ahmadinejad, told CNN the incumbent's widespread support in rural areas and small towns was the reason for his win with more than 62% of the vote.
Mousavi said he would contest the results, but had little hope his challenge would succeed.
"The election fraud was obvious, and I will pay any cost to realise the ideals of the Iranian nation," he told supporters at a rally yesterday.
The Guardian Council said today it will look into the complaints and report its findings within nine days. However, a BBC report said later today the council rejected Mousavi's call to annul the vote.
Netherlands-based news agency BNO quoted a Guardian Council spokesman as saying: "Based on the law, the demand of those candidates for the cancellation of the vote, this cannot be considered."
The Guardian Council reportedly invited Mousavi and the other two defeated candidates, Karrubi and Mohsen Rezaie, to meet today to discuss their concerns, Press TV said.
Mousavi's presence at the massive rally yesterday was his first public appearance since the election.
At the rally, Mousavi called on authorities to stop attacks on his supporters and urged his followers continue demonstrating peacefully.
"You are not breaking glass," he said. "You are breaking tyranny."
Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad left for Russia today to meet with President Dmitry Medvedev. He had originally planned the meeting for Monday, but delayed it because of the post-election unrest, the Iranian embassy in Russia said.