Abbas Abdi

Abbas Abdi (born 1956/57 (AP 1335)) is one of Iran's most influential reformists, journalist and social activist.

Abdi studied Polymer engineering at Poly Technique University in Tehran. He was a member of editorial board of Salam newspaper. Abdi is currently a member of central council of Iran Participation Front.

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 President Mohammad Khatami's reform plans, and one of the most influential figures in the reformist camp after 1997. He ran into legal trouble after the Iran student protests, July 1999 following 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 in Salam newspaper.

Abbas Abdi became the director of the Ayandeh public opinion firm and participated in a poll asking Iranians if they supported resuming government dialogue with the United States. On 22 September 2002 the official news agency IRNA's published an Ayandeh poll indicating that 74.4% of Iranians favoured a resumption of ties with the United States. Abdi was arrested at his home on 4 November 2002, accused of "having received money from either the US polling firm Gallup or a foreign embassy". Abdi spent several years in prison as a result.

See also

• Human rights in Islamic Republic of Iran
• 2nd of Khordad Movement

External links

• BBC News: Leading Iranian Reformist Arrested
• TIME Europe: Interview with Abbas Abdi
• IRNA: Abbas Abdi Stand Trial Over Polling Case
• BBC News Story. Reference to Abbas Abdi's Role in 1979 U.S. Embassy Takeover in Tehran
• Center for World Dialogue: Former US Hostage, Barry Rosen, Meets His Iranian Captor, Abbas Abdi
• NY Times: Hostage-Taker, Reformer, Pessimist: An Iranian Life
• Official website