Friday Prayer Leaders Attack Critics of the House Arrest of Green Movement Leaders

The Friday prayer leader of Tehran dismissed calls for lifting the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, labeling them as "irrelevant words." Several Friday prayer leaders, including the Imam of Isfahan, emphasized that they "should be executed" and that they are only "enjoying their time at home" due to "Islamic compassion." According to ISNA news agency, Kazem Sedighi, the Imam of Tehran, referred to the protests against the 2009 presidential election results as a "heavy sedition and coup attempt," claiming that its danger to the Islamic Republic is "deeper and more rooted" than all past threats. The Supreme Leader and his close associates refer to the 2009 election protests as a "sedition." Sedighi continued, stating, "Some people say irrelevant things for their livelihood, claiming that the house arrest issue should be resolved. Do we know where these issues stem from and what their motives are?" He mentioned the requests for a trial for Mousavi and Karroubi, adding, "If a trial is ever to be held, serious crimes such as assaulting veiled women, undermining international credibility, burning mosques, paving the way for sanctions, and destroying the deep-rooted beliefs of the people are among these crimes." Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi, leaders of the 2009 election protestors, have been under house arrest without trial since February 2011. Mehdi Karroubi was moved to his home in Jamaran after three years of "house arrest" in a "safe house" of the Ministry of Intelligence, but he remains under house arrest. These three leaders of the Green Movement have repeatedly called for a public trial, but as stated by Ali Motahari and some other officials, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, has opposed their trial or the lifting of their house arrest. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the Judiciary spokesman, stated on December 7 that their house arrest was based on a resolution from the "National Security Council," and if the council changes its resolution, the Judiciary is "ready" to try them. According to Mohammad Taqi Karroubi, Mehdi Karroubi's son, his father reacted to these statements by saying, "Pray that the gentlemen find the courage to try me in a public court." Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, has also repeatedly called for lifting the house arrest or trying the leaders of the Green Movement, but close associates of the Supreme Leader consider the continued house arrest of these three individuals as the "grace of the Islamic system" towards them, stating that if a trial is held, their sentence will be execution. Meanwhile, Youssef Tabatabai, the Imam of Isfahan, said, "If a person has 30 grams of heroin, the law states that that person should be executed, but regarding the leaders of the sedition... Islamic compassion has dictated that they stay in their homes and enjoy themselves, but they still have not repented, and some are calling for their freedom." Several Friday prayer leaders in Iran have also referred to the punishment of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi as "execution." These statements by the Friday prayer leaders in Iran were made on the occasion of the anniversary of the pro-government rally on December 30, 2009. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other officials of the Islamic Republic refer to this rally as the day the "sedition" ended, and the anniversary ceremony is held every year by various governmental or government-affiliated institutions. Three days before December 30, 2009, which coincided with Ashura, one of the bloodiest protests against the 2009 presidential election results took place in Tehran and several other cities.