Iranian reformist leaders are urging authorities to release all those detained during the unrest that followed the country's disputed presidential election last month.

Iranian reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi during a press conference after polls closed in Tehran, 12 June 2009

The call was issued by defeated presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi as well as former president Mohammad Khatami following a meeting late Monday.

In a joint statement, posted to Mousavi's Web site Tuesday, the three leaders demanded an end to the harsh crackdown imposed by authorities.

Iranian police have detained more than 1,000 reformists, political activists, journalists, and protesters during demonstrations in the capital, Tehran.

Officials say most of those arrested have been released.

Opposition supporters say there was widespread fraud in the June 12 presidential vote.  Official results say President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won by a landslide.

Meanwhile Tuesday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has demanded that Iran release a French woman held on charges of spying.

Mr. Sarkozy described the accusations of espionage levied against 23-year-old student Clotilde Reiss as "pure fantasy."

French officials say Reiss was detained at Tehran airport last week on her way home to France after five months of study. Iranian authorities accuse her of taking part in opposition protests and sending an e-mail to a friend that contained information on the rallies.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says the charges were related to pictures of the protests that she took with her mobile phone and sent via text message.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.