On the evening of December 27, the day of the 2009 Ashura protests, Tabarzadi was interviewed on Voice of America Persian, stating that the protests were the largest he had ever seen. He also called on protesters to keep the protests nonviolent. Persian law enforcement arrested Tabarzadi at his home on December 28, 2009, the day after the Ashura protests. Government agents also seized his books, papers and computer.
They went on to found the Union of Islamic Associations of Students and Graduates of Universities and Higher Education Centers, an organization that became a platform for young intellectuals and reform-minded activists. Tabarzadi became known not only as a political activist but also as a journalist and commentator. His writings and editorials were highly critical of authoritarianism, lack of political freedoms, and human rights abuses.
