Rouhani: Mousavi and Karroubi Will Be Freed One Day

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, stated that Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, the imprisoned leaders of the Green Movement, will be freed 'one day.' Journalists from the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera asked Mr. Rouhani in an exclusive interview: 'You promised two years ago that you would free the leaders of the Green Movement, Mousavi and Karroubi. Will you keep your promise?' The President of Iran responded with a brief statement: 'They will be freed one day.' Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi were two candidates who contested the results of the 2009 presidential election in Iran, which officially declared Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner. This result faced opposition from Mousavi, Karroubi, and their supporters, who turned Tehran and other cities into sites for protests and gatherings for months. The continuation of these protests in February 2011 led to Mousavi, along with his wife Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi with his wife Fatemeh Karroubi, being placed under house arrest without trial. Mrs. Karroubi was released from house arrest after some time. The release of these individuals and political prisoners was one of Hassan Rouhani's main promises during his presidential campaign. He mentioned in May 2013 that 'it is not difficult to create conditions in the coming year so that not only those who are under house arrest are freed but also those who are in prison because of the events of 2009.'