Mounting Pressure on Political Activists: Seven Members of Freedom Movement Arrested

A group of political activists and members of the Freedom Movement of Iran, including the group’s Secretary General, Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi, were arrested yesterday. According to Mizan News, those arrested were Ebrahim Yazdi, Hashem Sabaghian, member of the Central Council, Dr. Ali Asghar Gharavi, the group’s Director in Isfahan, Dr. Ghaffar Farzadi, the Director in Azerbaijan, Ahad Rezai, the Director in Zanjan, and two others by the names of Riaee and Moslehi. The arrests followed beatings and verbal abuse, according to Mizan News.

The group of activists were in the city of Isfahan to attend a funeral service for another member when they were arrested yesterday, Mizan News reported.  “Arrests of the high-ranking members of the Freedom Movement of Iran followed a gathering of group members and supporters during a Friday Prayer following the funeral ceremony. Plainclothes forces entered the private property where the group prayer was in progress without a warrant and using force,” the report stated. “The plainclothes forces introduced themselves as security forces and members of the Basij. They explained their reason for storming the premises and arresting the prayer participants as ‘holding illegal Friday Prayers.’ After making the arrests and threatening, videotaping, and recording the personal information of the other participants, they left the premises,” the report added.