Will the Illness of Karroubi and Mousavi Lead to Their Release?

Following the hospitalization of Mehdi Karroubi, several members of parliament attempted to meet with him. These efforts were unsuccessful, and at the same time, Mir Hossein Mousavi's daughter reported on Twitter that her father's condition was deteriorating, stating that medical care for him is inadequate and that Mr. Mousavi has been left to his own devices in poor health. Mr. Mousavi's children report that their father is suffering from severe fluctuations in blood pressure and severe dizziness, which has not been treated for a long time and has now intensified. The website Kalemeh has reported on Mr. Mousavi's kidney problems, stating that this illness has become long-term and chronic. Fatemeh Karroubi, Mehdi Karroubi's wife, wrote in a letter to the Minister of Intelligence last March that security agents are not allowed to contact emergency services during incidents involving Mr. Karroubi and must only call the Ministry of Intelligence's hospital. In response to these reports, Gholi Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, stated on July 25 that Mehdi Karroubi's illness presents an opportunity to end his house arrest. Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi, leaders of the 2009 protests, have been under house arrest for over six years. Several officials of the Islamic Republic, including Ali Motahari, have attributed the continuation of their house arrest to the insistence of the Supreme Leader. Recently, pressure on social media has increased for addressing the situation of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi. Mir Hossein Mousavi's brother denied reports of a National Security Council meeting to lift the house arrest, stating that this news was published to reduce social pressure. The judiciary claims that the house arrest of these three individuals was ordered by the National Security Council. However, Hassan Rouhani, as the head of the National Security Council, has denied the existence of such a resolution. Nevertheless, he has been accused by his critics of failing to fulfill his electoral promise to lift the house arrest. Will the illnesses of Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi affect their potential release or the conditions of their house arrest? This question was discussed with two guests on this week's program: Hassan Shariati-Madari, the son of Ayatollah Shariati-Madari, who died under house arrest, and Hassan Youssefi Ashkouri, a religious scholar and representative of the first Islamic Consultative Assembly.