UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Tuesday again called on the Iranian government to respect civil rights and find a peaceful solution to the violence that has plagued Tehran's streets after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected, Xinhua reported.
"The democratic wish and the will of the Iranian people must be respected and protected and guaranteed in the most fair and transparent manner," Ban told reporters on Tuesday after a joint open-air press conference with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on climate change. "I urge again that all these differences .. should be resolved in a very peaceful manner."
The Iranian government on Tuesday accused Ban of "meddling" after the secretary-general voiced concern over the post-election violence and urged "an immediate stop to the arrests, threats and use of force."
In a statement issued Tuesday by his spokesperson, Ban, who said he was dismayed by the post-election violence in Iran, called on the Iranian government and the opposition "to resolve peacefully their differences through dialogue and legal means."
Iranian riot police clashed with protestors on Saturday after Iranian officials said the count in Iran's presidential election pointed to a landslide victory by incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadjinejad. His opponent denounced the result as "treason," reports said.