The Iranian interior ministry has banned a demonstration of supporters of defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi.

He formally submitted a request to hold a demonstration against the results of the 12 June presidential elections. On Sunday, Mr Mousavi's supporters handed out pamphlets urging people to take part in the demonstration.

The opposition leader accuses the authorities of widespread electoral fraud and wants the results annulled. He has lodged a formal protest with the Guardian Council, Iran's senior legal body. Mr Mousavi, a former prime minister of Iran, has called on his supporters to continue their protests in a peaceful manner.

At the weekend, rioting broke out in the capital Tehran when the police cracked down brutally on demonstrations against the election results. Hundreds of Mr Mousavi's supporters were arrested, including several prominent members of the opposition. Elsewhere in the city, thousands of President Ahmadinejad's supporters celebrated his victory.