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The Middle East Institute is pleased to welcome Ali Afshari, a dedicated and widely respected activist in the Iranian student movement for political reform and human rights. Mr. Afshari will discuss the future of democracy in Iran after the failure of former President Mohammad Khatami’s reform movement.

A leader in several student political organizations, Mr. Afshari played a central role in coordinating protests and other activities in support of human rights and free speech in Iran. Arrested and imprisoned several times for his work, in 2006 he received a Hellman/Hammett Grant from Human Rights Watch, awarded to individuals targeted for expressing views that their government opposes. Mr. Afshari is currently a Reagan Fascell Democracy Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy.