The Iranian Ministry of Security (Intelligence) announced the arrest of two European citizens on suspicion of arriving in the Islamic Republic to “destabilize” the country, official media reported yesterday.
“Two Europeans who entered the country to create chaos and destabilize society have been identified and arrested,” the official IRNA news agency quoted the ministry as saying.
The statement does not indicate the date and place of detention, nor the identity of the detainees, who indicated that they have the citizenship of a “European country” and work for the special services.
The ministry said the detainees tried to contact Iranian trade union groups, especially those associated with teachers.
For several months, several meetings of teachers have been held in Iranian cities, calling for the speedy implementation of reforms related to wages and pensions in light of the economic and life difficulties in the Islamic Republic, mainly due to US sanctions.
The teachers also demanded the release of their colleagues arrested during previous protests. Last month, a court sentenced trade union teacher Rasul Badaki to five years in prison for demonstrating without a license, according to human rights groups outside of Iran.
