Mohammad-Taghi Khalaji
Encyclopedia
Mohammad-Taghi Khalaji is an Iranian Shia cleric. He has been described as "a prominent Qom
cleric close to reformist clerics Ayatollah Hussein-Ali Montazeri and Ayatollah Yousef Sane'i." He was arrested on January 13, 2010, taken to Evin Prison in Tehran and as of January 26 was being held "without charge in solitary confinement, without access to a lawyer or family visits."
, where his three brothers lived. In 1968, after graduating from high school and then Shokooh English Language Institute, he started to work as a bank accountant. In 1969, under the influence of the rising religious fervor in Iran, he left "his job in the bank and its good salary" and moved to Qom with his fiancée Mohtaram, to begin study in a seminary, becoming the first in his family to be a cleric. In Qom he joined the pro-Khomeini clique and became a disciple of Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari
Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution
he was arrested and imprisoned by the Shah
's regime three times as a political activist, being released for the last time in February 1979 after the Shah had been toppled.
His 2010 arrest was by four agents of intelligence ministry and could now face trial in the Special Court for the Clergy. Books, letters, a computer and his family’s passports were also confiscated.
It is thought that his arrest may be connected to his plans to visit his son, Mehdi Khalaji, in the United States, and his son's work with BBC Radio
and Radio Farda
followed by his employment by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
, all organizations "which the Ministry of Intelligence has claimed are involved in a `soft war` to overthrow the Islamic Republic," and banned all Iranians from collaborating with. Another source credits his arrest to "several speeches critical of the authorities" including their "use of violence against peaceful protestors".
Qom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
cleric close to reformist clerics Ayatollah Hussein-Ali Montazeri and Ayatollah Yousef Sane'i." He was arrested on January 13, 2010, taken to Evin Prison in Tehran and as of January 26 was being held "without charge in solitary confinement, without access to a lawyer or family visits."
Overview
Khalaji was the son of a farmer in the province of Isfahan and came from "from a conservative religious background." When he was 5 years old, he moved to TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, where his three brothers lived. In 1968, after graduating from high school and then Shokooh English Language Institute, he started to work as a bank accountant. In 1969, under the influence of the rising religious fervor in Iran, he left "his job in the bank and its good salary" and moved to Qom with his fiancée Mohtaram, to begin study in a seminary, becoming the first in his family to be a cleric. In Qom he joined the pro-Khomeini clique and became a disciple of Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari
Morteza Motahhari
Ayatollah Murtaza Motahhari was an Iranian scholar, cleric, lecturer, and politician.Motahhari is considered among the important influences on the ideologies of the Islamic Republic, and was a co-founder of Hosseiniye Ershad and the Combatant Clergy Association...
Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
he was arrested and imprisoned by the Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
's regime three times as a political activist, being released for the last time in February 1979 after the Shah had been toppled.
His 2010 arrest was by four agents of intelligence ministry and could now face trial in the Special Court for the Clergy. Books, letters, a computer and his family’s passports were also confiscated.
It is thought that his arrest may be connected to his plans to visit his son, Mehdi Khalaji, in the United States, and his son's work with BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
and Radio Farda
Radio Farda
Radio Farda is the Iranian Branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's broadcast services. It broadcasts 24 hours a day in the Persian language from its headquarters Prague, Czech Republic. Radio Farda first aired December 2002. Radio Farda broadcasts political, cultural, social, and art news...
followed by his employment by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Washington Institute for Near East Policy
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy is a think tank based in Washington, D.C. focused on United States foreign policy in the Middle East. It was established by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in 1985...
, all organizations "which the Ministry of Intelligence has claimed are involved in a `soft war` to overthrow the Islamic Republic," and banned all Iranians from collaborating with. Another source credits his arrest to "several speeches critical of the authorities" including their "use of violence against peaceful protestors".