LATEST: Political Activist Bahavar Released After 5 Years in Prison

As protests reappear in Iran’s universities, they have gotten support from two former Presidents, Mohammad Khatamai and Hashemi Rafsanjani.

In the last two weeks, students have made high-profile demonstrations challenging the regime, including Monday’s chants interrupting the hardline editor of Kayhan, Hassan Shariatmadari. Ayatollah Hadi Ghaffari and leading MP Ali Motahari pressed the case for reforms and the release of political prisoners in speech at universities, prompting the Revolutionary Guards to warn that they must repent: “Certain people…move in the same direction as our enemies.” Undaunted, prominent political analyst Sadegh Zibakalam — detained and fined earlier this year for his public statements — and reformist politician Ahmad Shirzad questioned the need for Iran’s nuclear program.

See Iran Video Feature: Students Challenge Hard-Line Editor, Chant Against Regime and For Political Prisoners

On Friday, former President Khatami, in a meeting with students, said that “defending people and freedom” is one of their responsibilities and advised, “If a state receives no criticism it will be transformed into a dictatorship.”

Khatami criticised the political environment in Iran, saying that it “must not be turned into a locked-down atmosphere with the excuse of providing security for the country”.

He added the specific demand for the freeing of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard, detained since February 2011: “Breaking of the house arrests is the demand of the society and the wish of the Government.”

Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, in an escalating battle with hardliners, spoke on Friday with student representatives from 70 societies around Iran. He encouraged them:

The current political developments in the society which resulted in victory of Rouhani in the election was the consequence of students’ efforts and standing on their own views. Therefore the students must follow the same method and insist on their demands from the officials.

Responding to the protests, Ayatollah Movahedi Kermani declared in the Tehran Friday Prayer, “The leaders of sedition have oppressed the people, country, and Supreme Leader.”

Movahedi Kermani, who is head of the Combatant Clergy Association, then put out a conciliatory line, “If you confess to your oppression, the people are noble and the Leader is generous so they will accept your apology”.

A well-placed correspondent sees a message to the detained Mousavi and Karroubi — both candidates in the disputed 2009 Presidential election “won” by President Ahmadinejad — and Mousavi’s wife Rahnavard: “The regime is under pressure to release them, but it wants to make them repent first.”


Political Activist Bahavar Released After 5 Years in Prison

Political activist Emad Bahavar has been released after serving a five-year prison sentence for his support of reformist leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mohammad Khatami.

BAHAVAR

Bahavar was initially sentenced to 10 years, but his sentence was reduced on appeal. During his imprisonmet, he was only allowed five days of furlough.