London Times: Iranian "Opposition Leaders Flagrantly Courted Arrest Yesterday By Denouncing President Ahmadinejad’s Government As Illegitimate"

TimesOnline reports that "three of Iran’s most prominent opposition leaders flagrantly courted arrest yesterday by denouncing President Ahmadinejad’s Government as illegitimate, one day after the regime said that it would tolerate no more challenges to the election result. Mir Hossein Mousavi, the former Prime Minister who lost the election, said that the suppression of dissent was tantamount to a coup. 'It’s not yet too late,' he declared on his website. 'It is our historical responsibility to continue our protests to defend the rights of the people . . . and prevent the blood spilt by hundreds of thousands of martyrs from leading to a police state.' Ayatollah Mohammed Khatami, 65, a popular former President, accused the regime of mounting a 'velvet revolution against the people and democracy' and called the security crackdown 'poisonous'. Mehdi Karroubi, 72, another defeated presidential candidate, said that 'visible and invisible forces blocked any change in the executive power'. He added: 'I will continue the fight under any circumstances and using every means.' The regime responded by shutting down his newspaper. One Iranian analyst expressed astonishment at their audacity. 'It looks like they’re trying to become living martyrs,' he said."

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