ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s judiciary said Sunday four individuals have been arrested and several others have been summoned over alleged activities linked to Israel and the United States, accusing a political circle of attempting to destabilize the country during unrest earlier this year. A semi-official media outlet said three reformist figures were among the arrested. The move comes in the wake of bloody protests across the country.
The judiciary-affiliated Mizan Online reported late Sunday that authorities said charges were filed “following the completion of an investigation into the activities of a movement affiliated with a certain political party,” without identifying the arrested individuals and the party, adding that “elements active in working for the benefit of the Zionist regime and the United States were arrested an hour ago.”
Fars news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), identified three of the arrested individuals as Azar Mansouri, Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, and Mohsen Aminzadeh - three reformist figures.
“The charges against these individuals are stated to include targeting national unity, taking a stance against the constitution, coordinating with enemy propaganda, promoting defeatism, deviating political groups, and creating covert mechanisms for overthrow,” reported the agency.
The arrests follow weeks of protests which have resulted in the death of thousands.
Nationwide protests erupted in Iran late December demanding political and economic reforms. Nearly 7,000 people have been killed, of whom 6,476 have been registered as “protesters,” according to a Sunday report by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).