Press Release

Manouchehr Mohammadi, an Iranian student activist who recently arrived in the United States, will be holding a press conference at Freedom House on Thursday, November 16, 2006 at 1 pm.

Mr. Mohammadi is a leading human rights and democracy activist who was imprisoned for seven years in Iran for his efforts opposing the Iranian regime, and whose brother, Akbar Mohammadi - also a prominent student activist - recently died in prison as a result of hunger strike and suspected torture.  Mr. Mohammadi first arrived in the U.S. a few weeks ago. He will address the state of political and civil liberties in Iran, his activism and that of his late brother, and the status of the democracy movement in Iran.

The press conference will be held at Freedom House on the second floor of 1319 18th Street, NW, Washington, DC. All members of the press are welcome.

Manouchehr Mohammadi and his brother, Akbar, have been among the most respected student leaders in Iran. They helped lead the largest protests against the Islamic Republic, including those at Tehran University and Beheshti University in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Both were arrested and imprisoned in July 1999 on charges of conspiring to overthrow the regime. Akbar Mohammadi died in prison in July 2006.

More information on Manouchehr Mohammadi and his struggle for Iranian freedom can be found in the current edition of Gozaar: A Journal on Democracy and Human Rights in Iran, at www.gozaar.org.

Freedom House, an independent non-governmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom in the world, has monitored political rights and civil liberties in Iran since 1972.