Thousands of Iranians are mourning today the death of the top dissident Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri who passed away overnight.

RFE/RL’s Radio Farda has posted a picture of Montazeri taken a few hours after his death with mourning family members.

All shops and businesses are reported to have been shut down in Montazeri’s hometown of Najafabad, where thousands of his followers took to the streets.

An amateur video clip shows mourners chanting Montazeri’s name and saying, ”We congratulate you on your freedom” (Montazeri was under house arrest for a number of years) and “Innocent Montazeri, your path will continue.”