Iran arrests Azar Mansouri and reformist leaders on charges of collaborating with the enemy
In a new escalation against the reformist movement in the country, Iranian authorities arrested three prominent political figures, including Azar Mansouri, head of the Reform Front, according to official and pro-regime media outlets. These arrests come at a time of intense political debate in Iran regarding public freedoms and domestic and foreign policies.
Details of the arrests and charges
The Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, reported on Sunday that security and judicial authorities had carried out arrest warrants against Azar Mansouri, former member of parliament Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, and former deputy foreign minister Mohsen Aminzadeh. The agency justified the move by citing a series of serious charges leveled against the detainees.
According to official sources, the charges included "targeting national unity," "adopting anti-constitutional positions," and "aligning with enemy propaganda and promoting surrender." Reports also indicated that they were accused of "establishing secret sabotage mechanisms," charges typically leveled against political opponents during times of crisis.
For its part, the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, reinforced this news, confirming that charges had been brought against a number of political figures without explicitly naming them at first, indicating that investigations had proven their involvement in activities supporting what it described as the “Zionist regime and the United States of America.”.
Azar Mansouri: A History of Political Confrontation
Azar Mansouri, 60, is one of the most prominent female figures in the Iranian opposition political scene. She previously served as an advisor to former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, which gave her considerable political influence within the reformist movement. Since June 2023, she has headed the Reform Front, the main alliance of reformist parties and groups that calls for fundamental changes to the structure of the regime, the strengthening of social freedoms, and the empowerment of civil society.
This was not Mansouri’s first arrest; she had previously been arrested following the widespread protests that erupted after the controversial presidential elections in 2009 (known as the Green Movement), when she was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of disrupting public order.
The stance on the 2022 protests
Mansouri played a prominent role during the protests that swept Iran in late 2022, taking bold stances on social media. She wrote on Instagram at the time, criticizing the authorities' handling of the demonstrators: "When all avenues for making one's voice heard are closed, protest takes to the streets, and repression is the worst way to deal with protesters.".
In 2022, she faced a one-year and two-month prison sentence for "spreading lies with the intent of inciting public opinion," due to her supportive stance towards the victims' families and protesters, stating: "We cannot access the media, but we say to the grieving families: You are not alone," emphasizing that there is no justification for what she described as "the great catastrophe.".
Background of the other detainees and the significance of the event
Alongside Mansouri, the arrests included figures with long histories in politics and diplomacy. Ebrahim Asgharzadeh is a former member of parliament and a well-known political activist, while Mohsen Aminzadeh served as deputy foreign minister in a previous reformist government, suggesting that the arrests are targeting the leadership of the reformist movement.
Observers of Iranian affairs believe these arrests carry profound political implications, especially given the stalemate surrounding the nuclear issue and the internal economic pressures. This move may indicate the hardliners' desire to tighten their grip on the domestic scene and silence voices calling for structural changes or criticizing official policies toward the West and Israel, particularly with the accusations of "collaborating with the enemy.".
