The Condition of Ibrahim Yazdi, Secretary General of the Freedom Movement of Iran, Declared Critical

The head of the political office of the Freedom Movement of Iran announced on Tuesday, August 8, that the condition of Ibrahim Yazdi, the secretary general of this party, has "deteriorated." Mohammad Tosuli stated in a statement published on several websites, including "Mizan News," that "despite necessary medical care under the supervision of specialist doctors" in Turkey, Ibrahim Yazdi's condition has "worsened." He reminded that Mr. Yazdi intended to travel to the United States for further treatment and to visit his children but could not make this trip due to "restrictions" and traveled to Izmir, Turkey on June 26, 2017, after obtaining the necessary permits and stayed with his daughter. According to reports, Mr. Yazdi intended to travel to the United States in December 2016 for treatment of a "pancreatic mass," but it was revealed that he was banned from leaving the country based on a judicial order. After resolving the exit ban issue, Mr. Yazdi visited the U.S. embassy in Turkey, but ultimately, a visa for travel to this country was not issued for him. Following that, Mohammad Tosuli, head of the political office of the Freedom Movement of Iran, announced that Mr. Yazdi is "banned from entering" the U.S. due to his "past records in managing the revolution." A close associate of Ibrahim Yazdi told Radio Farda that "the secretary general of the Freedom Movement was transferred to Pars Hospital about a year ago due to illness, but his first doctor at this hospital did not diagnose that he had pancreatic cancer. Until his daughter, who is also a doctor, pursued his health status and insisted that Ibrahim Yazdi undergo special tests." The individual, who wished to remain anonymous, added: "After these tests, another doctor at Pars Hospital finally announced that Ibrahim Yazdi has pancreatic cancer. On the other hand, Shiraz Hospital is the only hospital in Iran where pancreatic surgery is performed. However, this hospital did not have time to perform an urgent operation on Ibrahim Yazdi, and for this reason, he was transferred to Izmir seven months ago. In the Izmir hospital, a specialist in pancreatic cancer, assisted by Iranian doctors, operated on Ibrahim Yazdi for pancreatic cancer." This individual close to Mr. Yazdi stated that his family is trying to bring him back from Izmir to Iran, but due to fluctuations in his general condition, he is still unable to fly. Mr. Yazdi's daughter and several other relatives reside in the United States. Before the February 1979 revolution, he lived in the U.S. with his family for years and was one of the founders of the "Union of Islamic Associations of Iranian Students in America." Ibrahim Yazdi was a close associate of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Paris before the Iranian revolution and became a member of the Revolutionary Council after the revolution. Sadegh Khalghali and some of Ibrahim Yazdi's opponents accuse him of having a role in the execution of several commanders of the Imperial Army of Iran after the revolution. One of the opponents' references is a film of the forced interview of Mehdi Rahimi, the last military governor of Tehran, in which Mr. Yazdi speaks to Mr. Rahimi in an interrogative tone. Some opponents also accuse Mr. Yazdi of issuing the order to amputate Mr. Rahimi's hand, but Mr. Yazdi has denied this. There is another narrative that Ibrahim Yazdi used his influence to save officials of the previous regime from the death sentence and worked towards this end. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister in Mehdi Bazargan's government. After the resignation of the provisional government, Mr. Yazdi served as a representative of Tehran in the first parliament. In 1994, after the death of Mehdi Bazargan, he became the secretary general of the Freedom Movement of Iran and has held this position since then. After Bazargan's resignation from the premiership of the provisional government, the Freedom Movement of Iran has faced increasing pressures. Mr. Yazdi was arrested several times after the protests against the 2009 presidential election and was eventually released on bail on March 19, 2011, due to his poor health condition. The Revolutionary Court sentenced him to eight years in prison and five years of deprivation of social rights on December 10, 2012. Islamic Republic institutions consider the activities of the Freedom Movement illegal based on a letter from Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, to Ali Akbar Mohtashami, the then Minister of Interior. The Freedom Movement of Iran has expressed doubts about the authenticity of this letter and has stated that this group has not been declared "illegal" in any court so far and that its activities are legal. Over the years, based on Ayatollah Khomeini's letter, the qualifications of Freedom Movement members have repeatedly been rejected in parliamentary and presidential elections.