Mohsen Aminzadeh

Mohsen Aminzadeh (Persian: محسن امین‌زاده‎, born 1957) is an Iranian reformist politician and former diplomat. Aminzadeh was a founding member of the largest reformist party, the Islamic Iran Participation Front.[1] He served as the Deputy Foreign Minister during the 1997-2005 administration of the Iranian president Mohammad Khatami.

Mohsen Aminzadeh
Deputy Foreign Minister, Iran
In office
1997–2005
PresidentMohammad Khatami
Personal details
Born (1957-07-25) July 25, 1957
Mashhad, Iran
Political partyReformists
Spouse(s)Mahnaz Asgharzadeh
Children2
Education
  • Mining Engineering
  • Political Science
Alma mater

Like many other senior reformist politicians, Aminzadeh was arrested in June 2009 for protesting the disputed re-election of president Ahmadinejad and convicted in 2010 of conspiring to "disturb security" and "spreading propaganda" against the Islamic Republic.[2]

Education

Aminzadeh received a B.Sc. in Mining Engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology in 1982. He entered Shahid Beheshti University in late 1990 and studied for a Masters in Political Science. He also has PhD in Political Science from Tehran University.

Political career

In 1988, Aminzadeh was appointed the first head of a department dedicated to the press within the Ministry of Culture. He served as Deputy Foreign Minister from 1997–2005 under the reformist administration of Mohammad Khatami.

Articles and Interviews
  • ‘This War Will Have Only Losers’ [3]
  • Iran Faces the World: Mohsen Aminzadeh Outlines His Country's Approach to a Number of International Issues [4]
  • Former Iranian Diplomat Condemns Military Ambitions, Suggests Reconciliation With US [5]

Arrest and imprisonment

BBC News and Amnesty International have described him as "a leading member" of the Islamic Iran Participation Front. According to the semiofficial ISNA news agency, Aminzadeh was head of the opposition coalition's headquarters in 2009.[2] He was arrested in June 2009, amidst the 2009 Iranian election protests. [6] [7]

On February 8, 2010, ISNA reported that Aminzadeh had been sentenced to six years in prison by a Revolutionary court[2] – making him one of the most senior of the 100 reform activists and politicians to be sentenced following the mass trial of the postelection crackdown.

According to Aminzadeh's lawyer, Abbas Shiri, his client was convicted of conspiring to "disturb security" and "spreading propaganda" against the regime.[8] [9] He was released on 18 September 2013.

References
  1. Iran Report, 1, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 23 November 1998, retrieved 25 March 2017
  2. Iran 'jails opposition leader Mohsen Aminzadeh', BBC News, 8 February 2010
  3. Iran’s Reformists: ‘This War Will Have Only Losers’ July 9, 2019
  4. Iran Faces the World: Mohsen Aminzadeh Outlines His Country's Approach to a Number of International Issues, New Zealand International Review
  5. Former Iranian Diplomat Condemns Military Ambitions, Suggests Reconciliation With US
  6. Iran Detained Political Leaders Risk Torture
  7. Iran: Halt the Crackdown, End Violent Attacks on Protesters, Arrests of Critics
  8. Iran jails senior reformer for six years-report
  9. Iran Faces the World: Mohsen Aminzadeh Outlines His Country's Approach to a Number of International Issues
Party political offices
Preceded by
Morteza Haji		 Campaign manager of Mohammad Khatami
2001		 Succeeded by
Mohammad-Reza Aref
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