Iran releases head of Reform Front coalition, ISNA reports


DUBAI, Feb ⁠13 (Reuters) - Iran on Friday released on ⁠bail three prominent reformist figures ‌arrested last week amid a sweeping government crackdown on dissent, one of their lawyers told ​the semi-official ISNA news ⁠agency.

Lawyer Hojjat Kermani ⁠said the freed activists included Azar Mansouri, ⁠head ‌of the moderate Reform Front coalition, along with ⁠Javad Emam and Ebrahim Asgharzadeh. He said ​he ‌was not told what charges his ⁠clients ​may face.

The releases come as authorities try to quell the country's bloodiest ⁠unrest since the 1979 Islamic ​Revolution through a campaign of mass arrests and intimidation.

The U.S.-based rights group HRANA ⁠said about 53,000 people have so far been arrested, and the total number of killed had reached ​7,008, including 6,509 protesters. ⁠Reuters could not independently verify the ​figures, and Iranian officials ‌could not immediately be ​reached for comment.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Ethan Smith)

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