- Abbas Abdi
Abbas Abdi (born 1956/57 (AP 1335)) is one of Iran's most influential reformists. He was the first person to storm the United States embassy in Tehran, along with other students, during the early years of the
Iranian Revolution in 1979. In the following years, he became a critic of the political establishment of Iran. He was a supporter of PresidentMohammad Khatami 's reform plans, and one of the most influential figures in the reformist camp after 1997. He ran into legal trouble after the Invasion of Tehran University Dormatories (Kooye Daneshgah), in which the police attacked the dormitory of the university because of student protests following Abdi's article inSalam newspaper . Later he participating in a poll asking Iranians if they supported resuming government dialogue with theUnited States . When Abdi and the other pollsters pushed results reporting 75% in favor, they were jailed. [ [http://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-irandemocracy/hostage_3009.jsp Iran: an afternoon with a hostage-taker] ] Abdi spent several years in prison as a result.References
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2398329.stm BBC News: Leading Iranian Reformist Arrested]
* [http://www.time.com/time/europe/webonly/mideast/2000/06/iran3.html TIME Europe: Interview with Abbas Abdi]
* [http://www.payvand.com/news/02/dec/1126.html IRNA: Abbas Abdi Stand Trial Over Polling Case]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/142917.stm BBC News Story. Reference to Abbas Abdi's Role in 1979 U.S. Embassy Takeover in Tehran]
* [http://www.worlddialogue.org/meet1.htm Center for World Dialogue: Former US Hostage, Barry Rosen, Meets His Iranian Captor, Abbas Abdi]See also
*
Human rights in Islamic Republic of Iran
*2nd of Khordad Movement External links
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/29/world/middleeast/29abdi.html?pagewanted=all NY Times: Hostage-Taker, Reformer, Pessimist: An Iranian Life]
* [http://www.ayande.ir/ Official website]
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