Scholar’s Father Arrested in Iran

Mehdi Khalaji is a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in DC and a prominent Iranian dissident in this country.  His father, Mohammed Taqui Khalaji, age 61, is a well known cleric in Qom, Iran who was arrested last night there.

It seems his arrest may have been an effort to send a message to those, like Khalaji, who have been supporters of those fighting for freedom in Iran.

During the arrest, Mehdi says agents confiscated passports of his entire family, including Mehdi’s own teenage daughter, who lives in Tehran, as well as books, papers, computers and a satellite receiver.

"My father is a pious religious scholar who has always sought a peaceful solution to the problems facing Iran," says in a statement released by the Washington Institute. "It is a sad day for the people of Iran when its government harasses and arrests a humble cleric and deprives him and his family — including my own young daughter — of the universal right to travel beyond the borders of their country."
 

You can read more about Khalaji’s arrest HERE