THE Tudeh Party of Iran has condemned a raid by the Iranian regime’s security forces on the country’s progressive intellectuals.  

Economists Parviz Sedaghat and Mohammad Maljou, researcher Rasoul Ghanbari, sociologist Mahsa Asadollahnejad, and writers Shirin Karimi and Hayman Rahimi were arrested on Monday, according to reports.

Mr Maljou’s whereabouts remain unknown, campaigners warned.

Mr Sedaghat’s daughter, Mahtab Sedaghat, chief editor of Criticism of Political Economy, said security forces raided their home at about 7.15am and arrested him after searching the property.

In a statement, Tudeh said the “large-scale raid on the country’s progressive writers, researchers and translators” reflected the regime’s “deep fear” of Iran’s leftist intellectuals amid “chronic socio-economic crises” and “growing discontent among the vast majority of the population.”

The party added that the regime wanted only “a ‘leftist’ force that operates along the Islamic Republic’s ‘axis of resistance’” while silencing genuine progressive voices.”

Tudeh called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of all those detained and urged “progressive and freedom-loving forces in Iran and the world” to protest over the crackdown.