Shamkhani: Gradual Improvement in the Situation of Mousavi, Karroubi, and Rahnavard is Underway

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council announced that "the decision made regarding the gradual improvement of the situation of Mr. Karroubi and Mr. Mousavi (leaders of the protests against the 2009 election results) and Ms. Rahnavard is currently being implemented." According to ISNA news agency, Ali Shamkhani, speaking on Tuesday, December 19, at a gathering of students and professors at Sanandaj universities, pointed out that "some comments and positions regarding this case are made with political and factional motives." He added without referring to these comments and positions: "Media hype will not help this process, and the responsible authorities will manage this case based on the decisions made." Previously, on November 9, Ali Shamkhani stated that the leaders of the protests against the 2009 election results are not under house arrest and can meet anyone they wish. He added that the use of the term 'house arrest' for Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Zahra Rahnavard is not correct. These remarks were met with reactions from the families of Mousavi and Karroubi and several political and civil activists. For instance, one of Mir Hossein Mousavi's sisters announced that she had not been able to meet her brother for several months. Following that, "one of the security agencies contacted Mr. Mousavi's sisters and stated that the Secretary of the Security Council was unaware of the lack of visits." Subsequently, Mousavi's sisters and the children of Ms. Rahnavard and Mr. Mousavi were able to visit them. Hossein Karroubi, Mehdi Karroubi's son, also previously stated that his family cannot visit their father whenever they want, and this meeting is only possible once a week. Meanwhile, several political activists, including Ismail Doosti, a member of the National Trust Party, met with Mehdi Karroubi. In this regard, the Khabar Online website, close to Mir Hossein Mousavi, wrote: "Since the decision-making regarding house arrest is the responsibility of the leadership, so far the President and the Security Council, despite their efforts, have not been able to take any action other than changing the status of visits for the house-arrested and removing security forces from inside Karroubi's house." Meanwhile, a committee for lifting the house arrest to follow up on the situation of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard has been formed in the Hope faction of the parliament, and its members have so far held meetings with Iranian officials, including the head of the judiciary. Previously, Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, stated that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, is in favor of continuing the house arrest. Nevertheless, Ashraf Boroujerdi, the head of the National Library of Iran, said on November 10 that based on an "agreement" between Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, and other institutions of the Islamic Republic, it has been decided that by the end of 2017, the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders will be "gradually reduced or lifted." However, he did not refer to the details of this agreement. Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard have been under house arrest without trial since February 2011. Their requests to attend a public trial have also not been accepted so far, and several military and clerical supporters of the Supreme Leader have threatened them with heavy sentences, including execution. Lifting the house arrest has been one of the main demands of Hassan Rouhani's supporters in the presidential elections of 2013 and 2017, and he made promises regarding lifting the house arrest in both elections, either explicitly or implicitly. In this context, Fatemeh Karroubi, Mehdi Karroubi's wife, on December 23, asked the officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran not to go around the issue of the house arrest and at least explain it "clearly" once. In this context, Ali Motahari: If the house arrest continues, we must intervene. The Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament: Resolving the house arrest is not that simple. Zahra Rahnavard: Free the imprisoned mothers. Fatemeh Karroubi: The elders should not go around the house arrest issue. Hossein Karroubi reported on a meeting between a principlist parliament member and Mehdi Karroubi.