Heshmatollah Tabarzadi (born March 21, 1959) is a democratic activist. Tabarzadi has been arrested several times on charges related to his political activities, most recently in December 2009. In October 2010, a court sentenced him to nine additional years in jail and 74 lashes, a sentence that was reduced to eight years on appeal. In the 1960s, Tabarzadi became one of the early members of the Office for Strengthening Unity (Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat), a student organization that played a significant role in the political and social movements of the time.
Following ideological and political disagreements, he split from the group in 1984. Together with several like-minded activists, he went on to establish the Union of Islamic Associations of Students and Graduates of Universities and Higher Education Centers, which provided a new platform for student and intellectual activism. Over the years, Tabarzadi has been repeatedly arrested by Iranian authorities for his political views, participation in demonstrations, and his writings critical of the government.
