Khatami Calls for Lifting House Arrest and 'Transforming Security Atmosphere into Political Space'

Mohammad Khatami, the former President of Iran, once again called for the lifting of house arrest for Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi, and for transforming the 'security atmosphere' into a 'political space'. Khatami emphasized that Mousavi and Karroubi do not intend to seek 'revenge' if their house arrest is lifted, and that 'society will calm down'. According to a report published on Sunday, September 11, on Khatami's website, he stated during a meeting with members of the Islamic Teachers Association that the demands to change the 'security atmosphere to a political one' and to reduce 'harshness, oppression, and restrictions' are all aimed at rationality and community cohesion. Khatami added, 'There may be concerns among the leadership regarding lifting the house arrest or opening up the political space; we must listen to these concerns, discuss them, and help alleviate them.' He asserted, 'I firmly say that no one is thinking of revenge; those who are under house arrest do not want to take revenge when they come out, but our society will calm down and look towards the future.' The former president has previously called for the lifting of house arrest for the leaders of the Green Movement multiple times. Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi, who protested the results of the 2009 presidential election, have been under house arrest since February 2011 without trial. Mehdi Karroubi, after three years of 'house arrest' in a 'safe house' of the Ministry of Intelligence, was moved to his home in Jamaran in February 2014 but remains under house arrest. Hussein Karroubi, Mehdi Karroubi's son, reported on Tuesday, August 16, that the Iranian president has raised the issue of lifting house arrest in several meetings with the Supreme Leader, but 'due to the distractions of his entourage, he has been unable to continue the discussions.' Previously, Ali Motahari stated on July 8, 2014, that in a meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader described the 'crimes' of Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi as significant and said that if they were tried, 'a very heavy sentence' awaited them. Despite these threats, the leaders of the election protest have repeatedly called for their trial, and Mehdi Karroubi, in a letter to Hassan Rouhani, emphasized that he does not consider the lifting of house arrest to be 'in his hands' and has asked him to request the 'tyrannical regime' to put him on trial in a 'public court.' Khatami, in another part of his speech, stated that reformists have 'maintained their distance' from those who, according to him, give 'destructive slogans in the name of reformism.' He added, 'Just as in principlism, there may be those who, in the name of principlism, have imposed issues of exclusion, immorality, and narrow-mindedness on society. Both sides can critique themselves and define their boundaries.' The former president emphasized, 'Those currents that engage in immorality, insults, and exclusion in the name of the revolution and the system cannot and should not associate themselves with the currents within the system.' Khatami also noted that Rouhani's government is 'under severe pressure and facing significant constraints.' In response to some comments about introducing individuals for the tenth parliamentary elections, he stated that he had 'no involvement' in introducing individuals for the elections. He added, 'As an elder, my effort is to keep people together, and I am not looking to introduce lawyers; I only reminded points in critical times.' In the tenth parliamentary elections, Mohammad Khatami supported the 'Hope' list, which consisted of reformist groups and parties supporting Hassan Rouhani's government, such as the Moderation and Development Party. Mohammad Reza Khatami, Mohammad Khatami's brother, had previously announced before the elections that the former president wanted Mohammad Reza Aref to head the tenth parliament. After Mohammad Reza Aref's defeat in the competition with Ali Larijani for the presidency of the parliament, disagreements arose among members of the 'Hope' faction and its supporting figures. Meanwhile, Abdollah Naseri, a member of the advisory council of reformists, reported on Saturday, August 21, that 'one of the elders of the reformist movement' warned in a meeting at Rouhani's home that he does not have an independent voting organization and cannot become president without the votes of reformists.