Conservatives Anger Over German Deputy Speaker's Remarks on Lifting House Arrest

The remarks made by the Deputy Speaker of the German Parliament in Tehran regarding the necessity of lifting the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard have provoked anger among conservatives. Among them, Mohammad Hassan Abutorabi, the Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, has called for the German ambassador in Tehran to be summoned. Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, the spokesman for the National Security Commission of the Parliament, also announced that this commission has requested the 'detailed minutes and meetings' of the German Deputy Speaker from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss it in next week's commission meeting with representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Intelligence. According to Fars News Agency, Claudia Roth, the Deputy Speaker of the German Parliament, on January 25, during a meeting with Mohammad Reza Aref, a member of the Expediency Council, called for an end to the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard, leaders of the Green Movement. Ismail Kowsari, a representative from Tehran, stated in a parliamentary session on January 27 that 'what the Deputy Speaker of the German Parliament has expressed is outside the norms governing the relations between the two countries and is a clear interference in the internal affairs of the Islamic Republic.' He added, 'Considering that this lady, who has a responsibility in Germany, does not understand any laws, it is necessary for security and political officials to provide accurate information to decision-making bodies so that similar cases do not recur.' Mohammad Hassan Abutorabi-Fard, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, also responded to this remark, saying, 'It is necessary for the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to act decisively regarding this remark and to summon the German ambassador to deliver the necessary warnings.' According to Fars News Agency, Claudia Roth also commented on the parliamentary elections in Iran, stating, 'I have heard that in Iran everyone can run for candidacy, but they must pass the Guardian Council's filter, and I have also heard that some have been unable to pass this filter.' The request for the freedom of filmmaker Jafar Panahi and imprisoned lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani was another focus of the German Deputy Speaker's remarks. The spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament reported that members of this commission 'strongly' protested the remarks of the German Deputy Speaker during the session on Tuesday. Hossein Naqavi Hosseini added, 'In this meeting, it was decided to request the detailed minutes and meetings from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be reviewed in next week's commission meeting with representatives from the Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Ministries present.' Mr. Naqavi Hosseini also stated during his speech that day, 'My question to the parliamentary board is what Mr. Aref is doing in the parliament that the German parliamentary delegation meets with him, and why is there a meeting scheduled with someone who is neither related to the parliament nor to the government?' Claudia Roth's remarks in recent days have also elicited reactions from conservatives and several members of parliament. Claudia Roth, a member of the Green Party, arrived in Iran on January 21 for a five-day visit.