Mehdi Karroubi Protests with Hunger Strike Demanding Public Trial

Mohammad Taghi Karroubi, the son of Mehdi Karroubi, confirmed on Wednesday, August 16, in an interview with Radio Farda that his father has gone on a hunger strike. According to him, Mehdi Karroubi, one of the leaders of the Green Movement, has started a dry hunger strike since early Wednesday in protest against his house arrest conditions. The website Kalemeh reported that Hossein Karroubi, another son of Mehdi Karroubi, stated that his father's dry hunger strike is linked to his demand for a public trial. He added that 'he last told the Minister of Health, who visited him in the hospital, that if I return home, I demand a trial, and for this reason, despite his heart condition, I will go on hunger strike until my request is met.' Fatemeh Karroubi, Mehdi Karroubi's wife, also stated in an interview with Saham News that he is on hunger strike in protest against 'the illegal and illegitimate process of his house arrest.' She mentioned that 'for Mr. Karroubi, after enduring more than 2400 days, continuing this situation is not possible. At my and the Ministry of Intelligence doctor's insistence, he took only his heart medication today and did not consume any food or water.' On the same day, in the parliament, Mostafa Kavakebian called on the president to address the issue of Mehdi Karroubi's hunger strike and urged the Ministry of Intelligence to resolve the issue of whether security forces should be inside or outside the house during the house arrest. According to Kalemeh, the daughters of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard, leaders of the 2009 protests, expressed concern over Mehdi Karroubi's hunger strike and reiterated the 'illegal and unethical' nature of their house arrest. Recently, Mehdi Karroubi was transferred to the hospital due to a heart condition. After that, Hossein Karroubi reported that his father was returned to his house arrest after surgery and the placement of a pacemaker on August 10. Fatemeh Karroubi added that 'Mr. Karroubi has clearly stated his demands: first, the removal of security agents from the house; it has never been the case in any house arrest before or after the revolution that security agents live inside the house with the person under house arrest, eavesdropping on all aspects of their life and making conditions extremely difficult for that individual and their family.' She continued, 'Second, as he previously told Mr. Rouhani and Motahari in a separate letter, if the house arrest continues, they should arrange for a public trial. This is a clear and explicit demand that after six and a half years of house arrest, he has requested that the trial date be announced as soon as possible. Of course, a public trial according to Article 168 of the Constitution, where Mr. Karroubi and his lawyers can respond to the government's allegations and inform the public about many issues they are concerned about. This is a very important demand that he has raised repeatedly since the beginning of the house arrest.' This former parliament member added, 'Mr. Karroubi, as the former head of the legislative branch, believes that arbitrary punishment is illegal, and no one has the right to impose punishment beyond the law. Any punishment, if it is to be applied, must be through a court. Mr. Karroubi knows the structure of the judiciary and the extent of its independence and does not expect a fair trial and due process within it; however, he believes that continuing this process without going through judicial procedures is very dangerous and will lead to an illegal precedent. From this perspective, he emphasized that he would not protest against any potential verdict. Although he used to protest against verdicts issued in military courts before the revolution.' Fatemeh Karroubi further stated, 'Before his second transfer to the hospital, he communicated his message to officials, including the Minister of Health and Treatment, and said that if the illegal house arrest continues without a public trial, he would go on a hunger strike. The lack of accountability from the regime's officials regarding the house arrest and the process that has occurred during this incident has led Mr. Karroubi to conclude that he should go on a hunger strike. He believes that this process and its continuation mean the end of the lives of those under house arrest, without giving them any opportunity for defense after years of accusations and illegal and unethical behavior.' Hassan Rouhani, during his presidential election campaigns in 2013 and 2017, promised to lift the house arrest of Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Zahra Rahnavard, leaders of the protests against the 2009 presidential election results, while the families of Mr. Mousavi, Rahnavard, and Karroubi have criticized the unfulfilled promises of Mr. Rouhani over the years. In this context, 100 political and civil activists recently issued a statement declaring that Hassan Rouhani has not fulfilled his promise to lift the house arrest, and the Ministry of Intelligence continues to 'harass and persecute' the leaders of the protests. The daughters of Mir Hossein Mousavi, another leader under house arrest of the Green Movement, also recently announced that during their last visit with their parents, they noticed that their father was suffering from 'severe blood pressure fluctuations and severe dizziness.'