Shamkhani: The Supreme National Security Council Cannot Report on House Arrest

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council has announced that the council currently cannot report on the issue of the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard. Ali Shamkhani made these statements on Friday, July 2, in response to a question from an ILNA news agency reporter regarding the council's investigation results into the house arrest of the leaders of the 'Green Movement.' He stated, 'At the moment, we cannot talk about the issue of house arrest and provide a report on it.' Shamkhani did not comment on the limitations and considerations that have led to the silence of the Supreme National Security Council regarding the continued house arrest of Mousavi, Karroubi, and Rahnavard. Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard have been under house arrest since February 2011 without a trial, and efforts to lift their house arrest have so far been unsuccessful. The judiciary of the Islamic Republic has conditioned the lifting of their house arrest on a resolution from the Supreme National Security Council, but Hassan Rouhani has stated that this council has not issued any resolution regarding their house arrest. More than six years after the house arrest of Mousavi, Karroubi, and Rahnavard, no institution in the Islamic Republic is willing to accept responsibility for their house arrest. On June 7 of this year, Hossein Karroubi, the son of Mehdi Karroubi, stated that since the house arrest of these three individuals is 'illegal,' none of the government institutions are taking responsibility for their house arrest. Previously, Ardshir Amir Arjamand, the spokesperson for the 'Coordination Council of the Green Path of Hope,' had assessed the contradictory statements of government and judiciary officials about the house arrest as a sign of 'accepting a deadlock and inability to resolve the issue' of house arrest. Mehdi Karroubi also, in a letter to Hassan Rouhani in April of this year, emphasized that he does not consider the lifting of the house arrest to be 'in his hands' and requested that he ask the 'oppressive regime' to put him on 'public trial.' Meanwhile, on July 8, 2015, Ali Motahari stated that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic opposed the trial of Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, telling him in a meeting that their 'crime' is 'very great.' In this context, Hashemi Rafsanjani stated that the government cannot do anything regarding the lifting of the house arrest, and Ejei conditioned any change in the house arrest to a resolution from the National Security Council. Amir Arjamand stated that the government can take action regarding the house arrest. Karroubi's son stated that lifting the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders before the 2017 elections is unlikely. A letter from 70 academic figures to Rouhani protested against the silence regarding the house arrest. Mohammad Taghi Karroubi stated that Rouhani has not responded to his father's letter.