Zahra Rahnavard's Reaction to Government Conditions: My Freedom is Tied to Iran's Freedom

Zahra Rahnavard, one of the leaders of the Green Movement, states that she does not accept the conditions set by the government for her release from house arrest, asserting that her freedom is "tied to the freedom of Iran." In a statement published on the Telegram channel "Kalemeh," she remarked that "the agents said you are free to buy vegetables and go on pilgrimage, but not for social activities." Rahnavard, who has been under house arrest with her husband Mir Hossein Mousavi since February 2011, emphasized that her freedom is contingent upon the freedom of Iran. She also criticized the pressures exerted by the Islamic Republic's officials on political and civil activists, stating that they have been threatened and insulted. Furthermore, she mentioned that in 2018, officials had told her she could go to Qom or Mashhad for pilgrimage, but she was not allowed to speak or engage in women's issues or research activities. Rahnavard noted that the officials even refused to show her the ruling regarding these restrictions. In the conclusion of her statement, she remarked that the Islamic Republic is always seeking low-cost claims to suppress dissent. Following the protests of 2009 against the presidential election, shortly after February 2011, Mir Hossein Mousavi, his wife Rahnavard, and also Mehdi Karroubi were placed under house arrest. They were occasionally allowed out for medical reasons or limited visits with relatives or political activists, but their situation did not change. Some political activists claim that their house arrest was ordered by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mir Hossein Mousavi, following the protests after the killing of Mahsa Amini, called for a "referendum" and constitutional change.