Iranian Government Hits Back at Protestors; Seizes Corpse of Mousavi Nephew

The Iranian government made clear that it does not intend to allow demonstrations to go much further as it struck back at demonstrators on Monday. As many as 550 leading anti-government activists were arrested and government forces seized the corpse of Seyed Ali Mousavi, the nephew of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who had been killed in the street fighting. The move was reportedly an attempt to prevent his funeral from becoming another cause célèbre for the protestors. Among supporters of the opposition are former president Mohammad Khatami and members of the family of legendary Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah.