Letter from Six Former Parliament Members to Khamenei Regarding House Arrest

Six former members of the Iranian Parliament wrote a letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, requesting the removal of the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard. They urged Ayatollah Khamenei to prepare the necessary arrangements for Mr. Karroubi's request for a public trial if he insists on continuing their house arrest. This letter was signed by Ahmad Salamatian, Ali Mazrouei, Hassan Youssefi Ashkouri, Nouraddin Pir-Moazzen, Fatemeh Haqiqatjou, and Ali Akbar Mousavi (Khoeini) and was published on Saturday, April 30, on the website Kalemeh, close to Mir Hossein Mousavi. The authors emphasized that resolving the country's problems, given the current global, regional, and internal crises, necessitates widespread cooperation, solidarity, and national unity more than ever. They asked the Supreme Leader to end the 'illegal house arrest' of Mousavi, Karroubi, and Rahnavard, allowing the 'hope of the people, who demonstrated their commitment to reform and advancing affairs through legal and peaceful means in the recent elections, to remain alive.' The letter also stated that if Khamenei insists on continuing the house arrest, he should facilitate Mr. Karroubi's request for a public trial according to Article 168 of the Constitution. Mehdi Karroubi, a leader of the Green Movement, had previously written to the Iranian President, emphasizing that he does not consider the removal of his house arrest to be in his hands and requested Hassan Rouhani to ask the 'tyrannical regime' to put him on trial in a public court. Meanwhile, these parliament members referred to Mr. Karroubi's letter to the Supreme Leader, stating that 'based on the evidence and repeated statements of security and judicial officials, the ability and thus the responsibility to end Mr. Karroubi's illegal house arrest is practically in your hands.' Previously, some officials of the Islamic Republic had reported Khamenei's opposition to holding a trial for Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, stating that their house arrest could only be lifted at the discretion of Ayatollah Khamenei. Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran, stated on Saturday, July 31, 2015, that the decision regarding the lifting of the house arrest of these three individuals is solely within the authority of 'high-ranking officials' of the regime. Ali Motahari, a representative from Tehran, also reported on Sunday, June 28, 2015, that Khamenei had told him during a meeting that the 'crime' of Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi is 'very serious,' and if they are tried, a 'heavy sentence' awaits them. Motahari later stated that he was not convinced by the Supreme Leader's remarks, asserting that 'even the Prophet of Islam cannot declare that a person's sentence is severe without a trial and hearing their defense.' Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi, leaders of the protests against the results of the 2009 presidential election, have been under house arrest without trial since February 2011.