Iran's president Hassan Rouhani has said people are free to protest in his first comments since widespread demonstrations against the government began. Iran's president Hassan Rouhani has said people are free to protest in his first comments since widespread demonstrations against the government began. Iranians free to protest, president says after two activists killed at rallyHe spoke out as it emerged ar ound 200 people have been arrested in Tehran during protests, while two people were killed at a rally in the city of Daroud, and the government blocked access to messaging apps used by activists. Mr Rouhani said that public worries extended beyond the economy to corruption allegations and government transparency. Mr Rouhani also criticised US president Donald Trump over his tweets about the protest, saying he "has forgotten that he had called Iranian people 'terrorists' a few months ago".

Source: Irish Independent December 31, 2017 08:08 UTC