Mousavi calls day of mourning for Iran dead

Tehran: Defeated presidential candidate Mir Hussain Mousavi on Wednesday urged supporters to stage protests to mourn those killed after Iran's presidential elections.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory against Mousavi sparked demonstrations and clashes in Iran that killed at least seven people on Monday.

In a website statement, Mousavi called on supporters to "express their solidarity with the families ... by coming together in mosques or taking part in peaceful demonstrations."

He said he would also take part in the day of mourning planned for Thursday.

His supporters are planning more protests on Wednesday and Thursday to express outrage at what they called a rigged election result.

Watch video of Iranians in Dubai protesting poll result

In a stark warning, Fars News Agency quoted Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli as saying "no permission has been issued for a gathering or rally" on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, security forces arrested a pro-reform activist and an editor on Wednesday while a provincial prosecutor warned that those causing unrest faced the death penalty.

Tens of thousands of pro-Mousavi supporters defied authorities to rally in Tehran on Tuesday after the seven were killed in Monday's violence.

The international media are also forbidden from leaving their offices to cover the event.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Wednesday that Mousavi's wide support among reformists was "evidence of the will to revolt against oppression".

"We do not want to intervene directly and we are not doing that. But indignation, the need to support democrats, the need to support reformists—that, we affirm loud and clear," Kouchner said.