Protests in Iran: Two former leaders call for political changes
An Iranian woman carrying a poster featuring former President Mohammad Khatami (right) and ex-Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi in Tehran on May 30, 2009 (Illustration).
© ATTA KENARE / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
After months of protest sparked by the death of young Mahsa Amini, former President Mohammad Khatami and former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Moussavi are calling on the authorities for political reform.
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Mir Hossein Moussavi was a candidate in the 2009 presidential election, a disputed election that brought Mahmoud Ahmadinejad back to power, followed by repressed demonstrations.
Since then, the 80-year-old reformer has been deprived of his liberty, without ever having been charged.
Ardashir Amir-Arjomand is one of his close advisers, exiled in France since the same period: “
For almost 13 years, he has been imprisoned in his house, he has suffered a lot of repression.
The most important thing for him is to fulfill his national responsibility
”.
Mir-Hossein Moussavi seizes the slogan “
Woman, Life, Freedom
”, that of the demonstrations which broke out after the death of Mahasa Amini.
The former Iranian Prime Minister (1981-1989) calls for a "
fundamental change
" in the Iranian political system and proposes a referendum raising the question of a new constitution.
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Iran: "The conservative ayatollahs are worried about the consequences of this revolution"
According to his adviser Ardashir Amir-Arjomand, the Islamic Republic is today at an impasse: “
We could no longer reform the regime from within.
The regime's structured corruption is very important, there is no longer any possibility of reform
”.
44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution
A radical position from a former leader just days before the
44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution
.
For his part, the former president, Mohammad Khatani (1997-2005), pointed to “
generalized
” and “
obvious
” dissatisfaction.
The leader of the reform movement hopes that the use of “
non-violent civil methods
” can “
force the state to change its approach and initiate reforms
”.
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