German foreign ministry noted irregularities in Iran election

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4336926,00.html


Protests and marches continued for the fifth day in Tehran and other cities around Iran, with more planned, since election results were announced early Saturday. Germany cited "irregularities" in the vote.

A spokesman for the German foreign ministry has released a statement regarding the Iranian presidential election.

"The state secretary in the foreign ministry...has said that on the basis of our information, we believe that there were irregularities in the elections," said spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm.

Defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi called on his supporters to hold a march and a day of mourning on Thursday for protesters slain in post-election clashes.

"As you know in recent days as a result of illegal and violent crackdown on critics and protestors over the presidential election results, a number of our compatriots were martyred and wounded," he said in a signed statement released on his website Ghalam News, and reported by AFP news service.

"I offer my sympathies to the families and call on everyone to show their condolences to the families on Thursday afternoon in any way possible, by gathering in mosques, or holding peaceful marches and using mourning signs."

"I will obviously take part in the ceremony," he said.

Media restrictions

Media struggles to cover Iran Amid the protests, foreign media have been prohibited from leaving their bureaus, and in a latest round of detentions . . .

More media framing, even in an article questioning the "defeat." There has to be better language, if only "ostensibly defeated."