Mohsen Mirdamadi

Mohsen Mirdamadi (* 1955) is an Iranian politician and journalist, secretary general of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, former member of the Iranian Parliament, former governor of the province of Khorasan, and was a student involved in organizing the kidnapping of Tehran.

Life

Mohsen Mirdamadi studied mechanical engineering in Tehran.

Hostage-taking in Tehran

After the Islamic revolution in 1979, he was a leader of the students who stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and the Americans in the crowd then clung 444 days there. In an interview he said:

"There were about 400 of us who Took part in the operation. I was part of the leadership council. When the U.S. allowed the Shah to enter America for medical Reasons, we were plotting against us Convinced theywere. So, we wanted to send a message. We Intended to detain the diplomats for a few days, maybe one week, but no more. After We took over the embassy, Iranians from all over the city streamed into the area and chanted anti- American slogans. The events Took on a life of Their Own. When the Imam [ Khomeini ] blessed the takeover, there what no turning back. "

" We were about 400 who took part in the operation. I was part of the leadership council. When the United States allowed the Shah to enter America for medical reasons, we were convinced that they were planning something against us. So we wanted to send them a message. We no longer proposed the arrest of the diplomats for a few days, maybe a week but. After we had taken the message that Iranians flocked from all over the city in the area, shouting anti-American slogans. The events were given a life of its own. As the Imam [ Khomeini ] a rubber stamp the takeover, there was no looking back. "

Reform movement

In 2000 Mirdamadi ran as a reformer for a seat in parliament. He stood up for freedom and the restoration of the rule of law. In the elections he reached easily a seat in Parliament. He was chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs. During his tenure, he was editor in chief of Norouz, the largest reformist newspaper in the country and proposed the opening of talks between Iranian and U.S. parliamentarians before. 2002, the newspaper was banned and condemned Mirdamadi to a six-month prison sentence and a four-year ban journalism. Libel, slander and subversion were the official reasons for his punishment, and the prohibition of the newspaper. His political views he expressed himself against an American journalist:

"We always wanted a country did had independence, freedoms, and what. Islamic republic on ... But today our emphasis is on freedoms ... The future now depends on what the people want, not what a few politicians or religious leaders prefer Leaders in all ruling classes shoulderstand be checked by the people .... there are - and Should Be - many different interpretations of Islam. And the people have the right to listen to different interpretations Those ... No one has the right to impose his ideas on everyone else. "

" We always wanted a country that independence and freedoms and has an Islamic republic ... But today we focus on freedoms ... The future depends now on what the people want, not what some politician or religious leader prefer. Leader in all ruling classes should be checked by the people ... There are - and should be - many different interpretations of Islam. And people have the right to listen to the different interpretations ... No one has the right to impose any other ideas. "

In December 2003, he was beaten during a speech at the University of Yazd by supporters of Hezbollah and had to be hospitalized. In the parliamentary elections of 2004 Mirdamadi was excluded along with over 3,500 other candidates, including 83 mandate holders by the Guardian Council of the elections. In 2006 he was elected Secretary General of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, the largest reformist party in Iran.

On 14 June 2009, following the Iranian presidential elections in 2009, Mirdamadi was arrested without explanation.