Reformist Activists Address Officials: Focusing on Foreign Factors is an Insult to Our Society

Sixteen reformist political activists have deemed the claims of Islamic Republic officials regarding 'foreign interference' in recent protests as an 'insult' to the people, emphasizing that 'focusing on foreign factors leads to neglect or disregard of the roots of protests and dissatisfaction and their remedies.' In a statement published on the 'Emtidad' website, it is highlighted that 'although there is no doubt that the enemies of the country are always seeking to exploit such events and take a supportive stance, it must be noted that foreign interference at any level is not possible without internal grounds.' According to the authors of this statement, 'focusing on foreign factors, in addition to insulting our society, leads to neglect or disregard of the roots of protests and dissatisfaction and their remedies. It is our duty to address the factors that create such crises at all levels and domains.' These reformist figures have also strongly condemned what they termed 'U.S. interference, especially by its President' in Iran's affairs. Signatories of this statement include Mohsen Armin, Mohsen Aminzadeh, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Reza Tehrani, Hamid Jalaipour, Saeed Hajarian, Mohammad Reza Khatami, Hadi Khaniki, Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, Mohsen Safaei Farahani, Abbas Abdi, Feyzollah Arab-Sorkhi, Ali-Reza Alavitabar, Azar Mansouri, Mohsen Mir-Damadi, and Mohammad Naeimi-Pour. President Hassan Rouhani, Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and other officials of the Islamic Republic have accused Israel, the U.S., and Saudi Arabia of instigating the recent protests in Iran. Israel has denied interference in Iran's protests, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing Rouhani's accusations as 'lies and ridiculous.' Donald Trump and several officials from his administration and U.S. lawmakers have expressed support for peaceful protests in Iran. Meanwhile, a UN Security Council meeting regarding unrest and the suppression of protesters in Iran was held on Friday at the request of the U.S. The sixteen reformist political activists emphasized in their statement that despite people's participation in elections, 'unfortunately, a measured and timely response to the civil behavior of the people has not been provided, and there have been repeated reactions that have caused parts of society to feel humiliated and hopeless.' According to these reformist activists, although the economic aspect of the protests is more general, the root of solving economic problems lies in 'political reforms, expanding and strengthening public oversight, making official oversight bodies more efficient and independent, and civil and media freedoms,' and 'without accepting such reforms, fundamental changes and solving economic issues and reducing dissatisfaction cannot be achieved.' They stated that 'the lack of understanding and agreement on fundamental issues of the country and the weakness of political and social cohesion have intensified political and social fractures and duality in the management of the country.' In recent days, close associates of the Supreme Leader have expressed that the main roots of the recent protests are inflation and economic issues, but foreign countries and opposition groups outside the Islamic Republic have 'exploited' them and 'diverted' the course of protests. The sixteen reformist activists also attributed the 'continuation of violent' recent protests to the 'lack or weakness of institutions for resolving social conflicts and the peaceful expression of protests and recognizing the legal right to protest.' The authors of this statement emphasized that 'violence and its promotion is merely a lose-lose game that opens the way for political blockage and hinders the effectiveness of rightful protests.' The statement also declared that 'naturally, combating violence is only permissible within the framework of the law and with public persuasion.' Article 27 of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Constitution states: 'Formation of gatherings and marches, without carrying weapons, is free, provided that it does not disrupt the principles of Islam.' However, Iranian laws provide complex conditions for issuing permits for gatherings or marches, and the Ministry of Interior has only approved a few requests in this regard in recent years. Groups requesting to hold gatherings or marches must also inform the Ministry of Interior of the 'complete specifications of executive and security officials' in addition to the subject and time of the march. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Interior has rarely issued permits for marches and gatherings in recent years, including rejecting requests from Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, leaders of the 2009 presidential election protests and their supporting parties, to hold gatherings.