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Factors That Led to the Iranian Green Movement in 2009 and its Objectives

Abstract

The Iranian Green Movement is a political campaign that commenced after the disputed 2009 presidential election outcome in Iran. A day after the Iranian presidential election results were announced, millions of protesters crowded into mangers cities across the country demanding the impeachment of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from office. In response to the raised question, the author of this article examines several factors that deemed necessitated the formation of Iranian Green Movement. Among the evaluated factors during the study are the need for fairness in the presidential election, demand for fair human rights to the citizens, and interests of the political leader.  The research outcome construed irregularities such as rigging and unfairness in presidential election fueled the countrywide protest in Iran demanding transparency in the presidential election. The protestors argued that interior Minister Seddegh Mohasouli, a close ally of Ahmadinejad, manipulated the election process and doctored the votes to hand the victory to his friend Ahmadinejad. Violation of human rights was a rampant issue in Ira, as witnessed by the report about gang-raping of thousands of children, men, and women while in prison by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards in detention centers. Besides, president Ahmadinejad is accused of interfering with the judicial process, which is against the country's constitutional law. For the pioneers of the Iranian Green movement, such as Mir Hossein Mousavi, party formation's primary concern was a new beginning among the masses. To deter opposition supporters from exchanging hacking tools via social media such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, shut down the national internet. Another strike used by activists during the 2009 Iranian political upheavals was the coordination of the hunger strike. Several Iranian intellectuals convened a hunger strike for three days in front of the United Nations. Further, Iran's government responded by arresting almost all Green Movement nominal leaders and oversaw their sham trial imprisonment.

Keywords used in the research The Iranian Green Movement, Guardian Council, and Neda Agha Soltan

Historical Background

The Iranian Green Movement is a political campaign that started after the disputed 2009 presidential election results in Iran. Also, going by the names the Persian spring or the Persian awakening by western media, millions of protesters poured into the streets of major cities across the nation, demanding the impeachment of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from office. Presidential aspirant Mir Hossein Mousavi initially used the color green as a party symbol during the electioneering period, but it took on a new meaning as a symbol of new beginnings and solidarity for the common masses, demanding the cancellation of the presidential results which they deemed as fraudulent and unfair. The demand for fairness in the presidential election, well-framed and upholding human rights and enmity among political leaders, influenced the Iranian Green Movement's formation. Many people were injured, and others died in the event of protests against the 2009 presidential election.

   The key leaders of the Iranian Green Movement were Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. Hossein Ali Montazeri served as the spiritual leader of the Green revolution (Kurzman, 163). Some political commentators have asserted that the Green Movement protests marked a significant change in Iran's modern political history, observing that the 2009 protests drew in numbers only rivaled by the 1978-79 Iranian revolution. In Iran, the president's office holds the second position in political power and relevance, with sweeping political sway in home affairs and key government policies.  Assuming office in 2005, conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ruled Iran after serving as the mayor of Tehran (Monshipouri et al., 27). Ahmadinejad got negatively associated with gross human rights violations in Iran, primarily through needless violence and brutality. Prominent human rights abuse included the notable increase in the death penalty sentencing and victimization of political dissents.

A report aired by the Human Rights Watch wrote that essential human rights safeguards had hit a record new law in Iran under the presidency of Ahmadinejad. The report singles out executions' tripling despite the constitution limiting the president's ability to interfere with judicial processes (Monshipouri et al., 27). The situation had significantly worsened during Ahmadinejad's first term in office, with more than 130 juvenile offenders' executions by 2008. The independent researchers also noted worrying numbers of politically motivated disappearances and imprisonment of dissents. With incriminating evidence and accusations of cruelty and voting fraud, Ahmadinejad’s poll ratings took a sharp nosedive in the months leading up to the 2009 general elections. Mir Hossein Mousavi, who had served as a Prime Minister before, was the strongest opponent and a favorite of the electorate.

According to the guardian, the divisions were particularly strong in urban environments and among the young populations. The general elections were conducted on June 12, 2009. They rapidly deteriorated into a dangerous controversy concerning the election results' credibility, involving the seating government on the one hand and significant opposition players on the other. Ahmadinejad was declared the winner with 63% of all votes cast, but Mir Hossein Mousavi and his supporters contested the results, terming them a fraud and an insult to civil liberties and democratic ideals. The protesters alleged that Interior Minister Sadegh Mahsouli, a close friend of Ahmadinejad, manipulated the election process and doctored the votes cast...