Motahari: Indifference of Society Due to Fear Has Led to Continued House Arrest

Ali Motahari, a member of the Iranian Parliament, criticized the treatment of dissenters following the events of 2009, stating that one reason for the continued house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi is the indifference of society due to the 'fear' that has been created. According to ISNA, Ali Motahari, speaking at a session at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tehran University on November 9, said: 'One of the reasons for the continuation of the house arrest is the indifference of various segments of society, scholars, clergy, and academics, and the reason for that is the fear that has been created. Many are afraid, but expressing opinions calmly can be a way forward.' Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, both protesters against the results of the 2009 presidential election, along with Zahra Rahnavard, have been under house arrest since February 25, 2011. Ali Motahari has been a critic of the house arrest of these individuals and has consistently called for their release. He further stated: 'The next Parliament can certainly be effective (in lifting the house arrest). If 50 or 60 representatives sign a letter regarding this, it will be effective, but today such conditions do not exist, and representatives fear disqualification. If the Parliament undergoes fundamental changes, many problems will naturally become easier to resolve.' He also mentioned the role of the President of Iran in lifting the house arrest, saying: 'The President has a heavy responsibility here because he is the executor of the Constitution, and house arrest contradicts Articles 32 to 37 of the Constitution. The issue of urgency pertains to the first few months, and after that, the house arrest has been illegal.' Hassan Rouhani, during the 2013 presidential election campaign, promised that if he won, he could create conditions within a year for 'not only those under house arrest to be freed but even those imprisoned due to the events of 2009.' However, the family of Mehdi Karroubi has previously accused Rouhani of failing to adhere to his electoral promises regarding lifting the house arrest. 'The way the regime has dealt with critics since 2009 and the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi has sometimes been worse than the previous regime,' this parliament member continued, comparing the Islamic Republic's treatment of dissenters to that of the Pahlavi monarchy, stating: 'Sometimes our treatment has been worse than that of the previous regime; martyr Motahari went to prison at that time, but after his imprisonment, he was not deprived of teaching, although later they created problems for his promotion to professorship, which was eventually resolved.' He added: 'It is neither Islamic nor constitutional for someone to be imprisoned merely for criticism. We should not expel a university professor simply because he has criticized or signed a letter in support of a dissenting group.' Ali Motahari continued: 'Today, we are in dire need of unity, and one of the reasons we emphasize resolving the issues of 2009 is the issue of national unity; because we believe society should not be divided, and there should not be discord and fragmentation.'