Iran Guardian Council certifies contested election results News
Iran Guardian Council certifies contested election results

[JURIST] Iran's Guardian Council of the Constitution [official website, in Persian] on Monday certified [press release, in Persian] the results of the controversial June 12 presidential election [BBC backgrounder], officially sanctioning the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [BBC profile; JURIST news archive]. The certification [BBC report] comes a week after the Council rejected [BBC report] protesters' requests to abandon the results and start over after a partial recount [JURIST report] ordered by the country's spiritual leader and highest authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei [official profile; BBC profile], showed no irregularities in Ahmadinejad's overwhelming victory. The investigation concluded that any minor inconsistencies would not have resulted in victory for reform candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi [IranTracker profile]. Monday also marks the end of the period declared [JURIST report] by Khamenei during which opposition candidates could submit additional complaints about the election.

Supporters of Mousavi and other opposition candidates protested in Tehran and elsewhere after Ahmadinejad's victory, reportedly resulting in at least 17 deaths and hundreds of arrests [JURIST report]. Authorities stated that those arrested would be dealt with [Reuters report] by the court system. Human rights groups have viewed the arrests as political repression [JURIST report], saying that Iranian forces are using the protests to "engage in what appears to be a major purge of reform-oriented individuals." Amnesty International [advocacy website] called for authorities to respect and nurture debate Thursday, stressing [press release] that "healthy debate on issues of fundamental importance to peoples' lives" informs, rather than threatens, policy makers."

THIS DAY @ LAW

UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in Six Days' War

On November 22, 1967, the UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied during the Six Days' War, and for respect of the right of all States in the area to "live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries." Read Resolution 242, which remains a cornerstone of efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.

President Kennedy assassinated, VP Lyndon Johnson sworn inin

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Later that day, Vice-President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States. Earl Warren, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was later tasked with leading a commission to investigate the assassination. President Johnson received the final report of the Warren Commission on September 24, 1964. Read the Warren Commission Report.