Another government critic arrested in Iran
10/14/10
Source: Radio Zamaneh

Mehdi Khazali |
Mehdi Khazali, head of Iran's Medical Data Bank and son of
hardliner, Ayatollah Abolghassem Khazali, was arrested yesterday by Iranian
authorities.
According to media sources, Mehdi Khazali, a physician and anti-government
blogger, was summoned to Evin Prison yesterday and arrested for "activities
against national security and disturbing public minds."
Mehdi Khazali nominated himself to run in the 2007 parliamentary elections but
the Guardian Council disqualified him because he had made allegations of fraud
in the ninth presidential elections.
A year later, he was disqualified from joining the National Medical Board but
was voted into the governing board of Media Co-operative of Tehran.
In the past two years, he has repeatedly criticized Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his
blog and website.
In an interview two years ago, Khazali was quoted as saying: "Ahmadinejad is an
attention freak and is even willing to die in order to attain fame."
He had also said: "Ahmadinejad will not be an obedient lamb, in fact I can see
the day when he will stand up to the leader!"
Al-Arabiya quoted Khazali two years ago saying: "Ahmadinejad is Jewish-born and
has changed his last name."
Mehdi Khazali wrote condemning blogs regarding the violent reaction of the
government to the widespread protests to the alleged vote fraud in the
re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009.
He was arrested last summer in the wave of arrests following the presidential
elections and was released after three weeks on a $20,000 bail.
Mehdi Khazali, is the son of Ayatollah Abolghassem Khazali, a hardline member of
the Assembly of Experts and a staunch Ahmadinejad supporter. The extremist
cleric has disowned his son.