EU condemns Iran opposition crackdown

(BRUSSELS) - The European Union condemned Monday Iran's crackdown on opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and called for the rights of protesters to be respected.

In a statement, EU president Sweden said it "condemns the use of violence against demonstrators who are essentially seeking to exercise their freedom of expression and right to peaceful assembly."

"Freedom of expression and right to peaceful assembly are universal human rights that must be respected," it said. "Brutal force against, and the arbitrary detentions of, demonstrators constitute gross violations of these basic human rights."

Iranian security forces on Monday arrested seven anti-government figures in the crackdown, launched a day after at least eight people were killed in fierce clashes in Tehran, opposition websites said.

Those rounded up were two outspoken critics of Ahmadinejad, three aides to opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, including top adviser Alireza Beheshti, and two aides to reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami, the websites said.

The security force raids are likely to antagonise the opposition, which has defied the authorities to stage noisy protests at every opportunity since Ahmadinejad was returned to power in a disputed presidential election in June.

The latest demonstrations came on Sunday when thousands of opposition supporters poured on to streets of Tehran and other major cities, making use of the Shiite sacred day of Ashura to stage fresh anti-government rallies.

Police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse crowds and according to witnesses and the opposition later resorted to live rounds, marking the bloodiest showdown between protesters and security forces in months.