Ali Tajernia, a former reformist member of parliament, and Shahaboddin Tabatabaei, a senior member of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, were also put on trial Saturday.

An indictment read by Tehran's deputy prosecutor at the beginning of the second trial said Western states, Britain in particular, played a key role in recent street riots aiming at "soft overthrow" of the Islamic regime.

The first hearing in the mass trial of about 100 arrested protestors and activists, including former vice president Mohammad Ali Abtahi, was held on August 1.

The second hearing was to be held on Thursday, but it was postponed until Saturday due to a demand by the lawyers of the accused.

Protestors are tried at a revolutionary court in Tehran, capital of Iran, Aug. 8, 2009, for connection with the unrest erupting after the country's disputed June presidential election. [Xinhua]

Charges against the arrested people included "being connected to the terrorist groups, bombing, carrying weapons, raiding the police, Basij (voluntary militia), universities and military bases, sending images to the enemy, organizing vandals and rioters, damaging public and governmental centers," according to IRNA.

IRNA quoted the 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court as saying in a statement that the court would make its maximum efforts "to create a proper situation for the accused to tell the truth during the hearing sessions with no pressure and by their own will."

Protests gripped Tehran and other Iranian cities after the June12 presidential election, amid claims that the vote had been rigged in favor of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Iran's state media said about 30 people had been killed in relevant clashes, including some in custody.

More than 1,000 protestors and dozens of reformist activists were reportedly arrested in the wake of the disputed election. The authorities said most of them have been released.

(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2009)