Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 28
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
The Iranian administration is pursuing the release of jailed opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi as well as political prisoners, spokesman of Iran's administration, Mohammad-Baqer Nobakh said, Iranian Etemaad newspaper reported on Nov. 28.
He went on to note that the softening political atmosphere in the country is among the priorities of President Hassan Rouhani.
Nobakht underlined that the administration prefers to pursue the issue quietly in practice.
Iran's opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi are currently under house arrest in Iran after the unrest and protests of the 2009 presidential elections in Iran.
Early in September, Iranian media outlets reported that former President of Iran, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has met with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and asked him to release the two opposition leaders.
Mohammad Taghi Karroubi, the son of Mehdi Karroubi said that Khamenei, during his talk with Rafsanjani, has said the country's National Security Council should look into this issue.
On Nov. 22, 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.
Jannati made the comments in his Friday prayers sermon. He added that the two leaders are alive due to 'Islamic mercy'.
The comments were criticised by Iranian MP Ali Motahari.