The Iranian authorities have arrested three politicians, including the leader of the main coalition of reformists, reported Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA, citing information from local media.
“Azar Mansouri, Ebrahim Asgarzadeh and Mohsen Aminzadeh were arrested“, Fars news agency said. They are accused of “violating national unity“, “coordinating with enemy propaganda“ and “creating secret subversive mechanisms“.
The Mizan news agency, which is affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, reported several arrests without naming names. According to it, the arrests were made after the end of the “investigation of the activities of some important political figures supporting the Zionist regime (Israel, AFP note) and the United States“.
Azar Mansouri, 60, has been the leader of the Reformist Front since 2023. She was an advisor to former reformist President Mohammad Khatami. After the protests in Iran began in December, initially sparked by the economic crisis, she supported the protesters.
“When all avenues of expression are closed, protests take to the streets“, “repression is the worst way to deal with protesters“, she wrote on her Instagram account, referring to the thousands who have died during the protests.
“We say to the grieving families: you are not alone“, she added, expressing the opinion that there is “no justification“ for this “great catastrophe“.
Mansouri had already been arrested after the protests that followed the 2009 presidential election. She was then sentenced to three years in prison for “disturbing public order by participating in rallies, propagandizing against the state, spreading lies, and gathering to harm national security“.
Ebrahim Asgarzadeh is a former MP, and Mohsen Aminzadeh is a former official in Iran's Foreign Ministry.