Dr. Abdollah Ramezanzadeh (عبدالله رمضان‌زاده in Persian

Persian language

Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...

), also spelled Ramazanzadeh, is an Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

ian academic, writer and politician.

He is the former spokesman

Spokesman

A spokesperson or spokesman or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others.In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have received formal training in journalism, communications, public relations and...

 and secretary of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the presidency of Muhammad Khatami.

Ramezanzadeh is an assistant professor in faculty of Law and Political Science of University of Tehran

University of Tehran

The University of Tehran , also known as Tehran University and UT, is Iran's oldest university. Located in Tehran, the university is among the most prestigious in the country, and is consistently selected as the first choice of many applicants in the annual nationwide entrance exam for top Iranian...

, and a member of Islamic Iran Participation Front

Islamic Iran Participation Front

The Islamic Iran Participation Front is a reformist political party in Iran...

. He was the governor of the Kurdistan Province

Kurdistan Province (Iran)

Kurdistan Province or Kordestan Province or Kurdestan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, not to be confused with the greater geographical area of Iranian Kurdistan. The province of Kurdistan is 28,817 km² in area which encompasses just one-fourth of the Kurdish inhabited areas of Iran or...

 of Iran from 1997 to 2001.

In 1996, Ramezanzadeh got his PhD

Doctorate

A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...

 from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is a Dutch-speaking university in Flanders, Belgium.It is located at the centre of the historic town of Leuven, and is a prominent part of the city, home to the university since 1425...

, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

. His thesis entitles "Internal and international dynamics of ethnic conflict: the case of Iran".

Opposition

Dr. Ramezanzadeh was arrested a few hours after the 2009 disputed presidential election. Yet he has been charged with participating with protests. Shortly before his arrest, Dr. Ramezanzadeh released a historic speech posted on the opposition web sites and distributed throughout Iran and all over the world. He was in solitary confinement for 4 months and sentenced to 6 years jail. He is among the Iranian activists for the ethnic groups rights and the head of the Iranian Kurdish Reformists.

External links

• Ramezanzadeh is facing trial in Iran (BBC Persian)