Iran: Reformist and activist bloggers arrested

abtahiAs protesters continue their demonstrations all over Iran against 12th June presidential election results, Iranian authorities have arrested hundreds of activists, including bloggers.

Mohammad Ali Abtahi, former reformist vice president and an adviser to Mehdi Karoubi, a reformist candidate, was arrested last Tuesday. Abtahi used to update his blog each day for several years and share his opinion on different topics, including Iranian issues.

Here is the last post that his friends published in his bilingual blog, Webneveshteha:

Mr. Abtahi arrested
Mohammad Ali Abtahi,former vice president during Mr. Khatami's presidency and the advisor to Mr. Karroubi in the presidential election had been arrested today (Tuesday). Whenever he gets released, he will write here on his website

In one of his last posts he called election “obvious cheating”:

I analyzed the obvious cheating. It was a huge swindling. Election was planned so wisely. From one hand it made a new record of voting as it broke the previous record of Mr. Khatami who had gained more votes in second term of his presidential election and Mr. Ahmadi Nejad should gain more than him. Also they would like to destroy Mr. Mosavi and his companions. Another important part of scenario was the story of Mr. Karobi's 300,000 ballots. Although Mr. Karobi had a fixed huge number of votes, they considered 300,000 votes for him avoiding others to say such democratic mottos. Meanwhile information of other towns was showing at least equal votes for Mr. Mosavi and Ahmadi Nejad.

Somayeh Tohidloo, a female reformist blogger was also arrested. As protests against the Iranian presidential election results grows, Iranian authorities continue to arrest political activists. Recently, she and a couple of bloggers organized an Internet interview with former president Mohammad Khatami.

It seems that her blog is no longer accessible.

Mojtaba Saminejad, an Iran-based blogger and human rights activist, informs us about several other arrested bloggers.

Saminejad says that Shiva Nazar Ahari, a female blogger and human rights activist, Mehesa Amarabadi, a female blogger and journalist,Karim Argandehpour, a blogger and leading journalist and Amad Baharvar have all been detained.

So far there is no information about the charges against those bloggers.

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