Four Detained Students Released Without Posting Bail - 2002-11-28

The United States expressed concern over the detention of four leaders of the Iranian student movement on Tuesday, following a ban on further demonstrations by students. Philip Ricker, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated that the detention of these four individuals, who had attempted to hold peaceful student protests within the law, is alarming. Student activists reported that the four students were released on Wednesday without posting bail. They were detained during the continuation of over two weeks of student protests, during which they demanded freedom of expression, in separate attacks by individuals known as plainclothes agents. The students also protested against the death sentence issued against Hashem Aghajari, a dissident university professor, for questioning the rule of the clergy in Iran. The names of the student activists detained on Tuesday were announced as Abdollah Momeni, Akbar Attri, Amir Hossein Balali, and Saeed Rezavi Faqih. On the other hand, Mohammad Khatami, the reformist President of Iran, criticized his hardline opponents for their lack of respect for human rights and freedoms in a speech marking the anniversary of the death of Imam Ali, the first Shia Imam. Mr. Khatami has supported the student protests, while his conservative opponents have called for preventing further student demonstrations.