page_title: Freedom Movement of Iran
section_title: Islamic Republic of Iran (1979–present)
hierarchical_section_title: Freedom Movement of Iran / Islamic Republic of Iran (1979–present)
caption_attribution_description: English: Mahdi Bazargan Iranian prime minister and his cabinet
context_page_description: The Freedom Movement of Iran or Liberation Movement of Iran is an Iranian pro-democracy political organization founded in 1961, by members describing themselves as "Muslims, Iranians, Constitutionalists and Mossadeghists". It is the oldest party still active in Iran and has been described as a "semi-opposition" or "loyal opposition" party. It has also been described as a "religious nationalist party".
  The organization was split to the National Front (II), its establishment was supported by Mohammad Mossadegh. It then applied for the membership in the front with a platform advocating national sovereignty, freedom of political activity and expression, social justice under Islam, respect for Iran’s constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Charter of the United Nations. It believes in the separation of religion and state, while that political activity should be guided by religious values. FMI based on a moderate interpretation of Islam. It rejects both royal and clerical dictatorship in favor of political and economic liberalism.
  Despite being outlawed by the prevailing government in Iran, the group continues to exist.
context_section_description: The Islamic Republic of Iran was proclaimed on 1 April 1979 after the results of a referendum in which allegedly more than 98% voted for this system. The Provisional Government took office on 12 February, right after the former government fell, but it quickly became apparent that this government lacked any real power, which was instead concentrated in the Islamic Revolutionary Council (which was dominated by hard-line religious fundamentalists) and the local Islamic Komitehs (committees). The PG was composed mainly of elements from the FMI (including Bazargan, Taleghani, Sahabi, Yazdi, Nazih), but also included a few leaders of the National Front (Sanjabi, Ardalan, Forouhar). This period expressed the height of the LMI's influence over Iranian politics, but it was not to last. By Aug. 1979, the new government was clamping down on dissent, outlawing nearly all political parties and instituting a campaign of terror against its critics. The Bazargan cabinet resigned en masse on 5 November 1979, and thus, ended the Interim Government of Iran.
  The Islamic government (led by Ayatollah Khomeini) crushed all dissent in the country so that the oppositionists, both real and potential, either fled abroad or were murdered or imprisoned. But the LMI continued to exist as a barely tolerated force in the Majlis, where it called for an early end to the war with Iraq in 1984 (the war had started in September 1980 when Iraqi forces, under the orders of Saddam Hussein, invaded Iran).
  In 20 Jan 1995, Bazargan died (of natural causes) and Ebrahim Yazdi took over as leader of the organization, which held until his death in 2017. The group continued to exist as a tolerated party until the government cracked down on it in the year 2000, arresting and placing on trial dozens of activists belonging to the group, making the party non-operational. Since the election of Hasan Rouhani as the president of Iran in 2013, FMI experienced a new era of political activity. In 27 Aug 2017 Ibrahim Yazdi died due to cancer and Mohammad Tavassoli became the third secretary-general of FMI.
caption: Cabinet of Mehdi Bazargan (Interim Government of Iran)
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