Karroubi's Message to Motahari: Pursue the Holding of a Public Trial

The family of Mehdi Karroubi, a candidate who protested the 2009 Iranian presidential election, states that he has sent a message to Ali Motahari, a member of parliament, requesting him to pursue Karroubi's right to a fair trial and to prepare the necessary arrangements for holding a public trial in accordance with Article 168 of the Constitution. In the letter published on Saturday, December 8, on the 'Saham News' website, it is stated that Mehdi Karroubi, during his last meeting with family members on Wednesday, December 5, 2014, explicitly criticized the irresponsibility of high-ranking officials in the blatant violation of the country's constitutional and ordinary laws, and asked Motahari to advocate for his right to a trial and to arrange for a public court session to present his defense and evidence alongside responses to the one-sided accusations made by religious merchants over the past years. Mehdi Karroubi, along with Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard, has been under house arrest since February 25, 2011. They did not accept the results of the 2009 presidential election and called for the annulment of these results. Tehran and some cities in Iran witnessed months of protests against the election results, during which dozens were killed. In the letter from Mehdi Karroubi's family to Ali Motahari, criticism is directed at the violation of the Constitution regarding Karroubi's situation: 'In recent years, we have witnessed a precedent that has no prior example either before or after the revolution. The arbitrary detention, imprisonment, and house arrest of Ayatollah Karroubi have resulted in nearly three years of being kept in a safe house of the intelligence service, deprived of sunlight and fresh air. This deprivation has caused severe physical harm to him, which several major surgeries have not been able to rectify.' The letter emphasizes: 'In this case, detention and punishment have been imposed without any notification or clarification of the charges, no case has been sent to competent judicial authorities, and no arrangements for trial and defense have been made. Does this mean anything other than dragging out the issue and quietly concluding this national case? It should be noted that if the authorities insist on continuing this unlawful, illegal, and inhumane process and do not end this behavior, the family will also be compelled to choose lawyers to pursue this matter.' Ali Motahari has repeatedly criticized the house arrest of Zahra Rahnavard, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Mehdi Karroubi, and reportedly discussed this issue in a private meeting with Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic. Motahari stated that the leader of the Islamic Republic responded to a question regarding Mousavi and Karroubi by saying: 'Their crime is great, and if the Imam were here, he would have dealt with them more severely. If they are tried, their sentence will be very heavy, and you will definitely not be satisfied. We have shown leniency towards them.' Meanwhile, Motahari has recently criticized the house arrest of the leaders of the 'Green Movement' again in Mashhad, stating: 'Even the Prophet of Islam cannot say that the sentence for a certain person is heavy without a trial and without hearing their defense. This is Khamenei's opinion that someone can be opposed, and I am not convinced by this statement. Therefore, I insist again. House arrest without a judicial ruling is oppression and is not just. If the legal process is followed, we will comply, but saying that this person should be under house arrest and that one should be in prison and that one should be executed... this cannot be.' Previously, some political parties and figures in Iran had written letters to Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, requesting the pursuit of lifting the house arrest of the leaders of the Green Movement. However, Ali Younesi, a senior assistant to the President in ethnic and minority affairs, had previously stated that the Rouhani government has no authority regarding the lifting of the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders, but 'if the atmosphere becomes normal and calm, it may be able to fulfill its promise in this regard.' In this context, the Rouhani government has 'no authority' to lift the house arrest of Mousavi and Karroubi. The representative of the leader of the Islamic Republic considered Mousavi and Karroubi 'criminals.' The spokesperson for the Rouhani government stated that all information regarding the 'house arrest' is not in Motahari's possession. There were threats to question Rouhani if he fails to lift the house arrest. Mehdi Karroubi has been transferred to the hospital. Mir Hossein Mousavi has been transferred to the hospital for eye surgery.