Agency reports clashes between ethnic Azeris, Armenians in Iran

Turan news agency
21 Apr 04

BAKU

Clashes occurred between activists of the National Revival Movement of
Southern Azerbaijan (NRMSA) and local Armenians yesterday evening.
The head of the NRMSA office in Baku, Huseyn Turkelli, has told Turan
that the reason for the clashes was that the Iranian authorities
sanctioned a rally of Armenians outside the Turkish embassy on 24
April. Earlier, the Iranian deputy interior minister (?Ruhanifar) had
said that the authorities would prevent the rally.

After receiving the authorities’ approval, representatives of the
Armenian community hung posters on Tehran’s central squares Valiasr,
Enghelab and (?Ahli Bulvar) inviting to the rally.

Movement activists tore off the posters, which provoked the clashes
between [Iranian] Azeris and Armenians. Iranian security forces
supported Armenians and used force against the movement’s activists,
some of whom were injured and arrested, including a woman, Sara
Abbasi.