Iranian authorities arrested three prominent reformist politicians on Sunday evening and Monday morning, accusing them of organizing last month’s nationwide protests and seeking to disrupt the Islamic republic’s “political and social situation” on behalf of Israel and the U.S.
Authorities arrested Azar Mansouri, the leader of Iran’s Reformist Front; former diplomat Mohsen Aminzadeh; and former reformist representative Ebrahim Asgharzadeh. Reformist Front spokesperson Javad Emam was also arrested, according to lawyers representing the accused.
Iran’s judiciary has accused the politicians of organizing and promoting the massive demonstrations that rocked Iran last month. The charges were made more serious, Iranian officials said, since the country was under military threats from the U.S. and Israel.
The judiciary also issued summonses for other Reformist Front leaders, including Deputy Chairman Mohsen Armin and Party Secretary Badralsadat Mofidi, according to local media reports.
Iran’s allegations that Reformist Front officials organized the protests are unlikely to hold up under scrutiny from international observers, who have documented the demonstrations’ decentralized structure.
Tehran may be trying to send a message to other dissidents in Iran, telling them not to publicly back the protests. All those arrested had issued public statements supporting the protesters or condemning the actions of Iran’s security forces.
The arrests are an extension of Iran’s crackdown on supporters of the protest movement, which saw thousands of Iranians demonstrate in the street for weeks, calling for the end of the Islamic republic.
After weeks of widespread demonstrations, Iranian security forces began a crackdown on protesters on Jan. 8-9 that reportedly killed thousands. An ongoing internet blackout in Iran has made confirming the total death toll difficult, but organizations like Human Rights Activists News Agency say at least 6,000 were killed.
Tehran has acknowledged that the actions of security forces caused the deaths of at least 3,000 people last month. However, Iranian officials have blamed the deaths of agitators and have cast protesters as “terrorists” and “rioters.”
