Arrest of Four Student Leaders - 2002-11-26

Four prominent leaders of the Iranian student movement have been arrested, reportedly after the government announced a ban on further student protests across the country. Reformist activists say that plainclothes agents arrested Abdullah Momeni, Akbar Atri, Amir Hossein Balali, and Saeed Razavi Faqih in separate raids today at student dormitories. The arrested students are said to have been involved in protests that began on November 9 over the death sentence issued for Hashem Aghajari, a university professor and reformist supporter. Today, the Attorney General announced that if Dr. Aghajari's lawyer does not file an appeal by December 3, the sentence will be enforceable. Dr. Aghajari has stated that he does not intend to appeal the court's ruling in Hamadan. Hashem Aghajari is a war veteran and has been accused of blasphemy and sentenced to death for questioning the Iranian clerical regime. Government officials announced on Monday that from now on, student demonstrations will not be permitted anywhere in the country. The judiciary has stated that it will review the ruling in accordance with the directive of Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic. Tensions escalate as reformist President Mohammad Khatami attempts to reduce the influence of conservatives who control key positions in the country.