Iran cleric calls for freeing political prisoners

TEHRAN, Jan 28 (Reuters) Iran's top dissident cleric has called for freeing political prisoners and urged the country to avoid ''extreme acts'', a thinly veiled criticism of the government which some blame for stoking tensions with the West.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his government are facing mounting public criticism for fiery anti-Western statements that critics say exacerbate a dispute over Iran's nuclear programme, which the West says is aimed at making bombs. Iran denies this.

Grand Ayatollah Hosseinali Montazeri said he had to say something about ''the current situation of the country and the international pressure that we are facing'' and asked ''What is really the most reasonable solution?'' ''Is it not better to let an open political atmosphere take over the country, along with avoiding extreme acts?'' he asked in a faxed statement of an address made on Friday to a society that defends prisoners' rights.

He did not specifically mention Ahmadinejad's government.

Montazeri, who has little political influence beyond his own circle of followers, was once expected to become supreme leader, Iran's highest authority, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini died. But he fell from grace before Khomeini's death in 1989.

He said: ''Unfortunately in some places there are university professors, students, cultural figures and ordinary people imprisoned on baseless or political accusations.'' ''The wise manner in the current conditions would be to release them,'' added Montazeri, who spent years under house arrest until 2003.

He said unfortunately the views of opponents were dissmissed as those of 'outsiders'.

''I hope the officials wake up before it is too late and give up their monopolistic behaviour,'' he added.

Since Ahmadinejad's election in 2005, Montazeri has been relatively quiet. But since December when the president's supporters were trounced in local council polls and UN sanctions were imposed, he has joined other critics speaking up.

Rights groups often complain that Tehran imprisons pro-reform writers, journalists and intellectuals without due legal process.

Iran denies holding political prisoners and routinely dismisses charges of torture in its jails.

Reuters SP DB2039