Jailed dissident backs protests, urges referendum on Iran’s system
Abolfazl Ghadiani, a jailed Iranian political dissident, called from Evin Prison on Tuesday for protests and strikes to expand, saying demands for the fall of the Islamic Republic must turn into a nationwide public outcry.
In a statement issued from prison, Ghadiani backed strikes and protests over the past two days and urged the continuation of peaceful demonstrations.
“Opportunities have been lost one after another,” he wrote, adding that “with every passing minute and hour, the chance for a peaceful, nonviolent and low-cost transition becomes narrower.”
He warned of a growing risk of foreign intervention, saying Iran’s political future could be shaped by outside powers, “especially the United States in cooperation with Israel,” rather than by Iranians themselves.
Ghadiani said avenues for reform had long been closed. “The mirage of gradual reform from within has become obvious,” he wrote.
He called for a referendum on changing the system and the formation of a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution, adding that such a transition “will certainly not be possible under Ali Khamenei’s grip on power.”
