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Iranian authorities have arrested four people on charges of attempting to \u201cdisrupt the country\u2019s political and social order\u201d and working \u201cfor the benefit\u201d of Israel and the United States during the antigovernment protests of January.<\/p>\n
The detainees, who were arrested on Sunday, included three prominent reformist politicians, according to Iranian media.<\/p>\n
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They are Azar Mansouri, head of Iran\u2019s Reform Front, Mohsen Aminzadeh, a former diplomat, and Ebhrahim Asgharzadeh, a former parliamentarian.<\/p>\n
The fourth remains unnamed.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s judiciary accused the group of \u201corganising and leading extensive activities aimed at disrupting the political and social situation\u201d at a time when the country faced \u201cmilitary threats\u201d from Israel and the US, according to the official Mizan news agency.<\/p>\n
The individuals had done their utmost \u201cto justify the actions of the terrorist foot soldiers on the streets\u201d, it said.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s Reform Front confirmed the arrests in a statement on X.<\/p>\n
It said Mansouri was arrested from the \u201cdoor of her home under a judicial order\u201d by the intelligence forces of Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).<\/p>\n
It added that the IRGC has also issued summons to other senior members, including its deputy chairman, Mohsen Armin, and its secretary, Badral Sadat Mofidi.<\/p>\n
The arrests come amid anger in Iran over the deaths of thousands of Iranians during the January unrest. The protests began in the capital, Tehran, over a worsening economic crisis, but escalated into a nationwide antigovernment movement.<\/p>\n
Iranian authorities labelled the protesters as \u201cterrorists\u201d and blamed the \u201criots\u201d on foreign interference from Israel and the US.<\/p>\n
The government later said that 3,117 people were killed<\/a> during the unrest, and rejected claims by the United Nations and international human rights organisations that state forces were behind the killings, most of which occurred on the nights of January 8 and 9.<\/p>\n