Some Reformist Candidates Call for Lifting House Arrest

One day after the promise of the head of the Reformist Policy Council to pursue the lifting of house arrest for the leaders of the Green Movement more seriously if the reformists gain seats in the parliament, several candidates from this political movement also called for the lifting of house arrest for Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. According to ILNA, the first "Comprehensive Gathering of Reformists" with the presence of candidates from this group in the parliamentary elections from the Tehran electoral district was held on Thursday, February 18. Based on videos shared on social media, participants at this gathering chanted slogans demanding the lifting of house arrest for Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard, leaders of the 2009 presidential election protests, as well as the release of political prisoners. In response to these slogans, Ali Motahari, a representative from Tehran in the parliament, stated that "if you are seeking to realize these slogans, come to the ballot boxes." Fatemeh Saidi, another candidate from the Reformist coalition, also said at this gathering that "we all want to break the house arrest." Meanwhile, Farideh Olad Qabadi, another candidate from the Reformist list, expressed hope for resolving the "problem of the house arrest of political prisoners with solidarity and harmony in the near future." Mohammad Reza Aref, head of the Reformist Policy Council, promised on Wednesday that if they gain seats in parliament, they will pursue the issue of lifting the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders as a "serious demand of the youth." Aref emphasized that if the "parliament is aligned," this issue can be pursued "more seriously" and brought to the Supreme National Security Council through "interaction." This parliamentary candidate also stated, "We hope to turn it into a win-win issue after the elections and should not present issues in a way that implies win or lose." On February 14, Aref had also emphasized that lifting the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders is the "permanent position" of the reformists and expressed hope that the outcome of the upcoming elections would be such that this "demand" could be addressed. Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi have been under house arrest without trial since late February 2011. Mehdi Karroubi, after three years of "house arrest" in a "safe house" of the Ministry of Intelligence, was moved to his home in Jamaran in February 2014, but remains under house arrest. Lifting the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi was one of Hassan Rouhani's electoral promises before being elected president. Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, spokesperson for Rouhani's government, stated on January 26 that the government has tried "as much as it can and even more" regarding the lifting of the house arrest of these three individuals, but is not the final decision-maker. However, Ardshir Amir Arjamand, advisor to Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Mohammad Taghi Karroubi, son of Mehdi Karroubi, have announced that there has been "no serious and noticeable change" in the house arrest situation and that "there is no official or unofficial news regarding effective action" in this regard. These two figures close to Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi have also emphasized the importance of the two elections on March 7, and despite criticizing the disqualifications, welcomed public participation in the elections.