Last Friday, former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani made his first public appearnace after weeks since Iran's highly contested presidential debate.  Mr. Rafsanjani called on all political prisoners to be released, however many people within Iran are not content with his lack of action.   More news to come soon. Green balloons were released in Tehran, as did other supporters in other cities in solidarity.

Reports state there was one death of a female in the Majles protest.

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Reports say Rafsanjani's daughter was arrested and supposedly later released. It has been reported, that other family members of Rafsanjani's have also been said to have been arrested. The opposition leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi has reported to have said not to give up even if he is jailed;
Moussavi Web site: "The country belongs to you!" (CNN)

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Iran sees its most violent protests to date with dozens reported dead. Acid droppings on protesters, shooting of civilians, and other civil rights violations have been reported by individuals on the ground. Protesters around the world have held solidarity protests in countries like the United States, France, the UK, Canada and more. President Obama urged for the Iranian forces not to use violence against their own people, specifically to “govern through consent, not coercion.

Do you wanna know more about the timeline of the protests and on overview of Iran...check out the Iranian Student Solidarity Movement's "Iran Fact Sheet"

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Khamenei made a speech at the Friday Prayer in Tehran where he addressed the elections and the protests. In his speech, he put down council member Rafsanjani, legitimized Ahmadinejad's win, said the elections were fair, and made a clear statement that there will be a war on those who protest. Read the transcript of Ayatollah Khamenei's speech here

Mousavi! Mousavi! Raye mano pass begir

which translates into

Mousavi! Mousavi! Get my vote back for me!

is being madly chanted on the streets of Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz, Isfahan, and other major Iranian cities. Iranians, mostly students, have been protesting and rioting in the streets since the election results were announced on Saturday, June 13th.

Iran just witnessed a historical election with incumbent President Mahmood Ahmadinejad and reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi (Khameneh) as the two most popular candidates. It was historic because for the first time Iranians were very excited and involved in campaigning for a presidential elections. Campaigning in the streets, holding huge rallies, and showing certain colors in solidarity with candidates were all mostly new tactics used by each camp. According to Iranian entities, over 40 millions voted out of 46 million eligible voters, not including international voters.

The reason behind the protesting and the rioting is that millions of Iranians worldwide believe that the elections were not fair and that some type of fraud had taken place in the voting process. It was reported that Mousavi representatives were not allowed or asked to leave at certain polling locations. Some claim that ballots were replaced, others that votes were added and yet another group that the elections were rigged from the beginning. Since then, more than a dozen of students have been killed, hundreds beaten by riot police, and thousands have been constantly rioting. On Monday, tens of thousands of peaceful protesters gathered in downtown Tehran. A special and first appearance since the elections by the reformist candidate Mousavi was seen. He urged the “Iranian nation to continue” their “nationwide protests in a peaceful and legal way.”

When Iranian-American students and youth were asked about their views, they all answered in various ways. Kourosh, a recent college graduate, expressed his fears:

“I hope the sacrifices people are making are actually going to lead to some change.”

Narges, a Biology student in Los Angeles expressed her disappointment:

“I feel really disappointed in our nation as a whole. We are not showing what being Iranian is about. Both sides have faults and we are making this a perfect opportunity for the enemies to step in. I pray that this conflict ends soon with peace. Although it is not possible for both sides to be happy, at least some kind of compromise in the middle [would be good].”

Nasim, a UCSD graduate, expressed her solidarity with the students in Iran:

“To be honest, I feel rather useless and am frustrated that I can't be in Iran and do more to help. I think the only thing that those of us living outside the country can do is extend our moral support and make sure that Iranians know we are proud of their bravery and stand with them.”

The latest news on Iran depicts instability in the streets as people continue to protest. The supreme leader, Khamenei, called for a recount earlier on Tuesday. The Guardian Council agreed to the recount just hours later. Mousavi, the reformist candidate, refused the recount and called for new elections, according to CNN. Although the future remains unclear, Iranians in Iran and abroad continue to protest in favor of fair elections.