Iranian Green Movement

The number of criminal convictions for homosexual sex increased between 2005 and 2009, while the President even denied the existence of gay people in Iran.

At the same time, the office of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad almost immediately announced that the sitting president had won the election as he had received approximately two-thirds of votes.

That is why we're having a green revolution, defined by peace and democracy.Clashes broke out between police and groups protesting the election results from early morning on Saturday onward.

In a stand-off that later took place in north Tehran between supporters of Ahmadinejad and Mousavi, an angry crowd of citizens broke into shops, started fires, and tore down signs.

[20] Civil unrest took place as riot police on motorbikes used batons to disperse Mousavi supporters who staged a sit-in near the interior ministry, where the results were announced.

[25] That day, protests had been organized in front of the Iranian embassies in Turkey,[27] Dubai,[27] Paris,[28] Berlin,[28] London,[29] Rome,[30] Sydney,[31] Vienna[28] and The Hague.

[32] In response to the reformist protests, tens of thousands of people rallied in Tehran on 14 June to support the victory of Ahmadinejad.

[37][38] However, Times Online quoted a Rasoul Akram Hospital nurse that day who asserted that 28 people have suffered from "bullet wounds" and eight have died so far.

In response, pro-government MPs called for the death of opposition leaders Mir Hussein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi.

[22][45] Iranian journalist Mashallah Shamsolvaezin claimed that presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi was put under house arrest, although officials denied this.

[49] Intelligence minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejehei linked some arrests to terrorism supported from outside Iran, stating that "more than 20 explosive consignments were discovered".

[51] Human rights lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani, who had been demanding a recount of all votes, was also arrested on the Tuesday according to Shirin Ebadi, who said that security officials had posed as clients.

[47] On 17 June, former foreign minister and secretary-general of the Freedom Movement of Iran, Ebrahim Yazdi, was arrested while undergoing tests at Pars hospital in Tehran.

[47][53] He was held overnight in Evin Prison before being released and returning to hospital, where according to Human Rights Watch he remained under guard.

[47] Aaron Rhodes, a spokesman for the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, stated that "Iranian intelligence and security forces are using the public protests to engage in what appears to be a major purge of reform-oriented individuals whose situations in detention could be life-threatening".

[65] On the holy day of Ashura (December 7), the protests turned more violent as hundreds of thousands took to the streets once again, the highest turnout since June, and clashed with state security forces.

[68] Access to the Internet and social media as well as the possibility to send text messages was regularly restricted by the government, making it difficult for further protests to materialize.

Mousavi neither recognizes the current government as legitimate nor is likely to receive permission; so, the movement was named a "path" in order to bypass this law.

The "Green Path" has six main members of the central council, who are connected to reformist parties, NGOs, and social networks.

The strategy is to connect existent pressures and issues in society in a social network, and to therefore lead protests in a lawful manner.

The goals of the organization are stated as follows:"During the election, our mottos supported and remained in the framework of the constitution; today we are devoted to those slogans.

"[71]During Iran's final game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Korea in Seoul on 17 June 2009, seven members of the team, Javad Nekounam, Ali Karimi, Hossein Kaebi, Masoud Shojaei, Mohammad Nosrati, Vahid Hashemian, and captain Mehdi Mahdavikia allegedly wore green wristbands in support of the Iranian Green Movement during the 2009 Iranian election protests.

Initially it was reported that all seven players were banned for life by the Iranian Football Federation, but state-run media claimed that all seven had "retired".

[73] As of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, several of the above-mentioned players have played again for the national team, notably Javad Nekounam, Masoud Shojaei, and Mehdi Mahdavikia.