Tehran - The Iranian supreme leader said Wednesday that efforts by the opposition to change the country's political status quo were futile. "Those who are deceived by a smile or applause by the enemy and try to confront the establishment and constitution should know that their efforts are futile," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech carried by state television.
The country's opposition is led by former premier Mir-Hossein Moussavi, former parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi and former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani.
They have accused the government of fraud in the June 12 presidential election and have not acknowledged President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election.
Iran's supreme leader, who according to constitution has the final word on all state affairs, has openly backed Ahmadinejad and refused the opposition's numerous requests for annulling the election results.
While reiterating his support for Ahmadinejad, Khamenei however said that the opposition should not be branded as "hypocrites" - a term used in Iran for counter-revolutionaries - "just because they do not say what we say."
Pro-Ahmadinejad circles claim the opposition is against Iran's Islamic establishment and should therefore be put on trial.
Khamenei is believed to have especially referred to Rafsanjani with whom he not only fought against the Iranian monarchy but who is also a personal friend.
Rafsanjani, however, continues his opposition against Ahmadinejad and called on the president and his government Monday to be more tolerant of their critics.
The moderate cleric warned that the Islamic Republic had been successful as long as it was moving alongside popular will, but if the people were removed from the establishment, then the whole system would be weakened.
The post-vote protests have so far led to the deaths of dozens of demonstrators, the arrest of thousands, hundreds of whom remain jailed for alleged efforts to overthrow the Islamic establishment.
The courts issued death sentences against a handful of dissidents for alleged links to opposition and terrorist groups as well as jail terms ranging from six months to 15 years against 81 other dissidents.
Even former vice president Mohammad-Ali Abtahi, a deputy of Khatami, has been sentenced to a six-year jail term for his involvement in the unrest.
Khatami said in a meeting Wednesday with a group of physicians that some circles who believe the political status quo should be changed are accused of trying to damage the system.
"When we are not satisfied with some of the policies, then it should be no crime to express this criticism," the former reformist president said.
He said the jailed dissidents were honest and sincere people and warned that suppressing them would damage the system.
"Some bad things were done, especially as these bad things were done under the pretext of Islam," Khatami said, referring to the imprisonment and conviction of former reformist officials.
"We are witnessing that some partly unknown people are destroying (the reputations of) officials who are an undeniable part of the country's political capital," the moderate cleric added, referring to harsh confrontation by security agents against former officials.
Khatami said that even the rights of those people who are against the system but respect the country's constitution should be defended.
"Using violence means that anybody thinking outside a specific political line has no right to speak and even live to and without any proof considered as counter-revolutionaries," the former president said.
Khatami said that creating an atmosphere of security by the government to suppress the opposition would not only solve any problems but rather damage the system.
"Our people deserve freedom, growth and justice ?there should neither be lies nor violence but an atmosphere in which people could freely express their standpoints," he said.
"Therefore we should courageously move hand in hand for enabling this atmosphere of freedom," the cleric added.
