TEHRAN, July 9: Three leading Iranian student activists were arrested on Wednesday minutes after holding a press conference to blast the regime for banning events marking the fourth anniversary of bloody student clashes with security forces.

The arrests were made after activists from the Office to Consolidate Unity (OCU) — a pro-reform student umbrella group — said President Mohammad Khatami had failed in his drive for reforms and alleged the hardline-controlled judiciary was trying to prevent freedom of thought.

“Since we believe that Khatami’s reforms have come to an end, we wanted to stage a sit-in opposite the UN,” the OCU’s Reza Ameri-Nassab said moments before he was arrested, adding the gathering was postponed on the advice of supportive MPs.

“But it is not forgotten... our demands are for the immediate release of our eight fellow students from the OCU (arrested during unrest last month) as well as those spelled out in our open letter to Kofi Annan,” he said.—AFP