Mullahs' head of Judiciary warns of harsh reaction to opponents of velayat-e faqih
Widespread arrests in Qom and Tehran

During Tehran's Friday prayers today, mullah Mohammad Yazdi, Head of the Judiciary, acknowledged widespread opposition nationwide to Khamenei and the velayat-e faqih among the public, the clergy and even within the regime's internal factions. He strongly condemned "conspiratorial actions by sinister currents across the country" and threatened that the regime will severely crush its opponents. He also called for decisive action by the officials against these "conspiracies."

Yazdi lashed out at Mr. Montazeri, Khomeini's former heir apparent, and said: "The simultaneity of these absurdities by different elements in the country and their comments which target unchangeable principles of the Islamic system... do not leave any doubt as to the conspiratorial nature of this current."

The mullahsÕ Ministry of Intelligence today tried to stage large-scale demonstrations in various cities around the country in support of Khamenei and velayat-e faqih, but met widespread indifference even among the regimeÕs supporters.

Yesterday, Mr. Massoud Rajavi, President of the National Council of Resistance, strongly condemned the attacks on Mr. Montazeri and the arrests of hundreds of dissident theology students. He said: Everyone must put up resistance against the regime and its violations of the rights of the Iranian people, and against the suppression of clerics and theology students who do not want to surrender to the blood-thirsty rulers of Iran.

The NCR President added: The successive uprisings and protests by people in various cities and regions around the country display the Iranian people's utter disdain toward the mullahs and their determination to overthrow the clerical regime and all of its factions.

Information from within the regime indicates that the ProsecutorÕs Office has summoned Heshmatollah Tabarzadi, head of one of the regimeÕs factions, who recently called for restrictions on the authority of the vali-e faqih. Tabarzadi is charged with Òundermining national security.Ó A number of active members of this group have also been arrested in recent days by the regimeÕs Intelligence Ministry.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
November 21, 1997

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