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Iranian official: house arrest status of opposition leader not lifted

Iran Materials 3 February 2014 17:03 (UTC +04:00)
There is no change in opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi`s case, Iran Judiciary spokesman Mohsen Ejei said, Iranian Asriran news portal reported on Feb. 3.
Iranian official: house arrest status of opposition leader not lifted

Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 3

By Umid Niayesh - Trend:

There is no change in opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi`s case, Iran Judiciary spokesman Mohsen Ejei said, Iranian Asriran news portal reported on Feb. 3.

Ejei made the remarks responding to a question about the status of the opposition leader after Karroubi was transferred to his home after being kept under "house arrest" for three years by the Iranian security forces at an undisclosed location.

For now, the secretary general of Etimad Melli party will be kept under house arrest in his own house.

On Feb. 2, Karroubi's son Mohammad Taghi Karroubi wrote on his Facebook page that after three years, his father was transferred by the security forces to his home in Tehran's Jamaran district, where his house arrest will continue under the same security standards.

He also noted that the security forces are located on the first floor of Mehdi Karroubi's home.

Mehdi Karroubi has requested an open trial, according to the report.

"People expect these persons to be punished," Ejei said, adding that "Iranian regime has treated them very mercifully."

Karroubi and Mir-Hossein Mousavi have been under house arrest since 2011 due to protests against the 2009 presidential elections.

On Nov. 22, 2013 the head of Iran's Guardian Council, Ahmad Jannati, said that the opposition leaders under house arrest should be thankful for not being given a death sentence.

He added that the two leaders are alive due to 'Islamic mercy'. The comments were criticized by Iranian influential MP, Ali Motahari.

Motahari urged the judiciary to end the house arrests of opposition leaders and to put them on trial. "The protracted house arrests without trial, lack legal or religious justification," Motahari added.

On Nov. 28, 2013 spokesman of Iran's administration, Mohammad-Baqer Nobakh said that the administration of President Hassan Rouhani is pursuing the release of jailed opposition leaders as well as political prisoners.

Nobakht underlined that the administration prefers to pursue the issue quietly.

Edited by C.N.

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