Iranian political activist Mohammad Tavassoli has been arrested and charged with allegedly forging signatures on a public statement.
The Fars News Agency reported today: “So far 30 people whose names and signatures were under this statement have denied it.” Fars claims Tavassoli, a member of the reformist Freedom Movement party, has been arrested for forging the signatures of prominent political figures on the public statement that criticizes election policies.
Last month, 143 of Iran’s prominent reformist political figures issued a statement addressed to former president Mohammad Khatami, saying: “There are no positive prospects that the people’s votes will be protected and that the elections will be open, healthy and fair” in Iran’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
The letter has called into question the “unrelenting dominance and influence of military and security forces in all executive, judicial and legislative bodies, which has led to the people’s complete disappointment in making any change or improvement in their lives by participating in the elections.”
The letter was signed by Mohammad Tavasoli, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Abolfazl Bazargan, Alo Shakourirad, Azam Taleghani, Fakhrosadat Mohtashamipoor and Ebrahim Yazdi among many other prominent reform figures.
The letter reminds Khatami that the establishment has failed to heed his recommendations for the coming elections.
Khatami has called for the release of Iranian opposition leaders MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi and their wives as well as the release of all political prisoners, the freedom to participate in political and media activities, and open and healthy elections in order to secure reformist participation in the coming election.
Many reformists have expressed disappointment in the government’s reaction to Khatami’s conditions and have called for a complete boycott of the parliamentary election in March.
