Iran has put more than 100 activists and protesters on trial in Tehran, accusing them of taking part in post-election riots and trying to take down the country's ruling system.
The court proceedings began Saturday, with court prosecutors reading a 15-page indictment that said the accused had plotted for years to stage a "velvet revolution," in which they intended to overthrow the ruling system.
The exact number of defendants in the Tehran courtroom was not available, though Iran's official news agency, IRNA, said more than 100 were present.
Some of the defendants included former vice-president Mohammad Ali Abtahi, as well as a former government spokesman and a former parliamentary speaker. Former deputy foreign minister Mohsen Aminzadeh and Mohsen Mirdamadi, the leader of the country's biggest reform party, the Islamic Iran Participation Front, were also among the accused.
IRNA reported that the defendants faced a variety of charges, including attacking military and government buildings, having links with armed opposition groups and conspiring against the ruling system.
One prosecutor alleged that three opposition parties used money from foreign non-governmental organizations to advance their plans for reform, and hoped to use the fallout from the June 12 presidential election as a smokescreen for their actions.
"Based on the evidence obtained and well-founded confessions of the defendants, these events had been planned in advance and stages of the velvet revolution were carried out in accordance with a time schedule," the 15-page text of the indictment said.
It was not immediately clear how long the trial would last or when a verdict could be expected.
The trial was the first to take place since the controversial presidential election that saw incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad return to power.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets following the election, protesting the legitimacy of Ahmadinejad's victory. The president's opponents contend that opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi was the true winner.
Iranian authorities have cracked down on all of the protests that have occurred since the June election, throwing hundreds in jail and using batons, tear gas and other methods to break up demonstrations.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is due to formally approve Ahmadinejad's second term in a ceremony on Monday. Two days later, the incumbent president will be sworn in before the country's parliament.
With files from The Associated Press
