HOLY QOM, Iran: In sympathy with the families of the post-election detainees, Ayatollah Montazeri has not celebrated the “Eid” for the birthday of the 8th Imam from the progeny of Prophet Hazret Muhammad (s.v.), Hazret Imam Reza (a.s.), this year.

Before Zee-qa’ad 11 that arks the birth anniversary of the imam (a.s.), the office of Montazeri had announced that he will not celebrate the “Eid”.

Over four thousand people were arrested in the post-election protests against the victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, many of which are university students, human rights and political activists as well as journalists.

Ayatolllah Montazeri in the graduation ceremony of eight seminarians said: “Although this is a great day and it is the birthday of Imam Reza, but because many of our learned who are also pious and have suffered for the sake of this Revolution, are now in prison for baseless accusations, in order to express our sympathies for the families of these loved ones, we will not celebrate this day.”