Rafsanjani Denies Pact With Opposition Leaders

TEHRAN (AFP) -- Powerful Iranian cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on Saturday branded as a "lie" a claim made in court that he had entered a pact with ex- president Mohammad Khatami and opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Leading Iranian reformist Mohammad Ali Abtahi told a revolutionary court in Tehran earlier in the day that the powerful trio had sworn to support each other following the disputed re-election in June of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Abtahi, a close aide of Khatami, is one of 100 or so reformists and opposition supporters who went on trial Saturday accused of taking part in deadly riots after the June 12 election, which the opposition claims was rigged.

The Fars news agency reported that Abtahi during his testimony said Mousavi, Khatami and Rafsanjani, a former president, had taken an "oath" not to abandon each other.

"Mousavi probably did not know the country, but Khatami, with all due respect... knew all the issues. He was aware of the capability and power of the leader, but he joined Mousavi and this was a betrayal," Abtahi said, adding that Rafsanjani sought to avenge his 2005 presidential defeat to Ahmadinejad.

Iran's main political arbitration body, the Expediency Council, which is headed by powerful cleric Rafsanjani, denied Abtahi's allegations, in a statement carried by the state news agency IRNA.

"The Expediency Council branded as a lie a statement made by Abtahi in court that Mousavi, Khatami and Rafsanjani swore to support each other," IRNA said.

"Ayatollah Rafsanjani did not support any candidate in this election and did not have the slightest role in post-election incidents," the statement added.

Around 30 people were killed and hundreds wounded in the post-election violence, the most serious political crisis in the Islamic republic's 30-year existence.

Up to 2,000 protesters, political activists, reformists and journalists were arrested as hundreds of thousands of people publicly challenged the results.

Most were later released, but around 250 remain behind bars with about 100 going on trial on Saturday.