Iran's Attorney General: Lifting House Arrests Not on National Security Council's Agenda

The Attorney General of Iran stated that lifting the house arrest of the leaders of the Green Movement is not on the agenda of the Supreme National Security Council, and no decision has been made regarding this matter. According to Fars News Agency, Ebrahim Raisi, on Wednesday, January 10, made strong remarks against Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, labeling them as already condemned in court and stating: "Whenever the system deems it necessary, the judiciary is ready to punish the leaders of the sedition." He mentioned that the issue of house arrest for the leaders of the 2009 protest movement was raised in the Supreme National Security Council "to cut off their connections with the outside... and if at any time the interests of the system require and this council revisits its decision, the judiciary will perform its legal duty in this regard." Raisi then referred to Hassan Rouhani's position, the President of Iran, regarding the lifting of the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders and potential actions by the Supreme National Security Council in this regard, stating: "Mr. Rouhani has reacted to this issue in meetings, but so far no decision has been made in the Supreme National Security Council to lift the house arrest, nor is this issue on the agenda." In recent days, as the anniversary of the pro-government rally on December 30, 2009, approaches, figures close to the Supreme Leader and conservatives have launched severe verbal attacks against Mousavi and Karroubi. Mousavi, his wife Zahra Rahnavard, and Karroubi have been under house arrest without a court ruling since February 2011. Meanwhile, government-affiliated figures claim they should be executed and that the Supreme Leader has shown leniency towards them. The Attorney General emphasized that the Green Movement leaders are under house arrest due to the "favor" of the Supreme Leader and that "addressing their crimes will be regrettable for those seeking to lift the house arrest." He also stated: "The interests of the system take precedence over everything. The leaders of the sedition were condemned in public before being condemned in court." Previously, the head of the judiciary in Iran stated that if the Supreme National Security Council's resolution changes, the judiciary is prepared to hold trials for the leaders of the Green Movement.