Saeed Razavi Faqih, an Iranian political activist and reformist, has been arrested in Iran, according to Iranian media reports.
IRNA reports that the Hamadan prosecutor issued a warrant for his arrest after Razavi Faqih gave a speech to a gathering of reformists in Hamadan.
The Fars News Agency and Mashreq website reported yesterday that the activist was arrested for a series of “seditious statements.” They also reported that according to some knowledgeable sources, Razavi Faqih took flight as soon as he heard about the arrest warrant.
ILNA later published an interview with Razavi Faqih who denied any question of fleeing the country adding that he has not received any arrest warrants from the judiciary.
Last Thursday, Razavi Faqih gave a speech entitled “Exploring the Barriers and Strategies for the Policy of Measure and Hope” in which he discussed Iranian revolutions in the past 100 years and expressed support for the 2009 election protests, also referred to as the Green Movement.
He stressed that these movements persist because the people’s demands have not been addressed.
Razavi Faqih reportedly referred to the coming decade as a “decade of crisis” for the country, saying: “In the coming decade, if the system does not strengthen itself through reform, and Parliament does not establish its control of all affairs, and the Assembly of Experts does not act as the representative of a courageous, committed and informed clergy, and the Islamic Republic government is not a reflection of the will and desires of the people, the country will witness dreadful events.”
The statements have drawn serious criticism from the conservative factions of the government.
Saeed Razavi Faqih has worked with several reformist newspapers including Sobh-e Emrooz, Bahar, and Norooz and was also a member of the executive committee of the student group Tahkim-e Vahdat.
