Motahari: A Suitable Opportunity for Lifting House Arrest and Media Ban in the Twelfth Government

Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, expressed hope on Tuesday, May 23, that the issues of "media ban and house arrest" would be resolved in the future, considering the people's demands expressed in most electoral gatherings. According to ISNA news agency, Mr. Motahari stated this during a public session of Parliament, responding to reporters' questions about whether the issue of Khatami's media ban would be resolved in the new government. He said, "Given the popular support that Mr. Rouhani has today and considering the people's demands that have been raised in most electoral gatherings regarding both the media ban and house arrest, it seems that now is a good opportunity for these issues to be resolved in the future." ILNA news agency also quoted Ali Motahari as saying, "Given the popular support that Mr. Rouhani has today and relying on the people's demands raised in electoral gatherings regarding both Khatami's media ban and house arrest, it seems that there is a suitable opportunity for these issues to be resolved in the next government." Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, promised during one of his speeches in the twelfth presidential election in Kerman that he would "transmit" and "pursue with all his might" the requests for lifting the house arrest of the leaders of the protests against the 2009 election results. Lifting the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard was one of Mr. Rouhani's promises in the 2013 election, which he was unable to fulfill. Previously, Mr. Karroubi's children criticized Hassan Rouhani, accusing him of not adhering to his electoral promises to lift the house arrest of the leaders of the 2009 election protests. Nonetheless, Mohammad Reza Khatami, the former Secretary-General of the Participation Front and brother of Mohammad Khatami, stated on April 28 during an electoral meeting that he is "grateful" for Mr. Rouhani's efforts to lift the house arrest and is aware of the obstacles. He also addressed Mr. Rouhani, saying, "You are the representative of the majority of Iran and the voice of this nation within the establishment, and you must act decisively and loudly reflect this national demand within the establishment." Additionally, 101 university professors published an open letter on May 3, stating that issuing an order to lift the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi by Ayatollah Khamenei would be "very appropriate and effective" to avoid political blockage and increase social cohesion among the people. The house arrest of the leaders of the protests against the 2009 presidential election continues, while Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has repeatedly stated that it is necessary for them to remain under house arrest. In this context, several political figures, including Ali Motahari, have consistently emphasized the illegality of the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard. Meanwhile, Mr. Motahari, who has discussed the issue of lifting the house arrest with the Supreme Leader, reported last year that Ayatollah Khamenei opposed the trial of the leaders of the 2009 election protests and stated that their sentence would be "heavy" if tried. Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi, who protested the results of the 2009 presidential election, have been under house arrest without trial since February 2011, and the ban on publishing images and news of Mohammad Khatami has been in place since winter 2014.