Iran's top dissident urges open politics

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran's top dissident cleric Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri has urged Islamic republic officials to release political prisoners and open the political arena to opponents of the regime.

"Now that the country faces international pressure, is it not better to avoid extremism and open the political space?" Montazeri asked in a Friday meeting with members of an NGO to defend prisoners' rights.

"Unfortunately there are still academics, students, intellectuals and ordinary people jailed for false or political reasons. The wise thing to do is to release them in these sensitive times," he said according to a statement obtained by AFP.

Iran is under mounting international pressure over its controversial nuclear programme. In December the UN Security Council passed a resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for its repeated refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.

"Unfortunately we do not use our opponents, among whom there are committed people and experts, under the pretext that they are not insiders," he said.

"I hope the officials wake up before it is too late and stop monopolization" of power."

It is the second time this month that Montazeri, who was once appointed to succeed the founder of the Islamic revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, is criticising Islamic republic policies.

He hit out at President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over his handling of foreign and domestic policies including Tehran's nuclear drive -- joining critical voices from conservatives and reformists against the president after his allies were defeated in December 15 key elections.

One of the main architects of the Islamic republic, 84-year-old Montazeri was tapped as the successor Khomeini but fell from grace in late 1980s after he became too openly critical of political and cultural restrictions.

He was put under house arrest in 1997 and was freed in January 2003 on health grounds.