Saeed Hajjarian, who is often credited with being the theoretician who introduced the Reformist movement in Iran, made headlines after speaking at Tehran University for the first time in 10 years. The importance of the appearance of the man who was left partially paralyzed from a 2000 assassination attempt cannot be overstated. Some Reformist media — after suffering what appeared to be the final blow in the contested 2009 elections and the political crackdown that ensued — are exhibiting a renewed sense of confidence over the event.
Reformist Shargh Daily wrote that Hajjarian's speech at Tehran University was important given that under the eight years of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency and even at the beginning of Hassan Rouhani’s presidency, Hajjarian was “forbidden” from entering a college to speak. According to Shargh, in August 2014 he had even received permission to speak at Tehran University but was still prevented from doing so. But this year, in honor of Mohammad Khatami's election in 1997 that ushered in the Reformist era, Hajjarian was allowed to speak alongside political analyst Abbas Abdi.
