Iran Reform Front leader Azar Mansouri, former diplomat Mohsen Aminzadeh, and former MP Ebrahim Asgarzadeh were arrested on charges of attempting to disrupt the country's political and social order.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
Iranian authorities have arrested four reformist politicians for supporting anti-government protests last month.
Those arrested include Azhar Mansouri of the Iran Reform Front, former diplomat Mohsen Aminzadeh and former lawmaker Ebrahim Asgarzadeh. The name of another person is being withheld by authorities, Al Jazeera reported. Aminzadeh is also a former deputy foreign minister. Asgarzadeh was a student leader during the Islamic Revolution.
They are accused of working for the interests of Israel and the United States. They are also accused of trying to disrupt the country's political and social order.
According to the Mizan news agency, they are accused of organizing and leading widespread activities aimed at destabilizing the political and social situation at a time when the country is facing military threats from Israel and the United States.
Iran's Reform Front said Mansouri was arrested at his home. Thousands of Iranians died during the unrest in January.
The arrests come as anger grows over government repression in Iran. The government has used force to suppress protests that began on December 28, drawing participation from all walks of life. It has also imposed internet blackouts to cover up the crackdown.
Iranian authorities have said the protests were orchestrated by foreigners. The government said 3,117 people had been killed in the protests by the end of January.
But the website of Iran International, a British human rights group, puts the death toll at more than 30,000. The heaviest crackdown on the protests occurred on January 8 and 9, when the largest number of people were killed.
