Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi, who has been under house arrest since February 2011, has been hospitalized due to gastrointestinal complications.
Saham News reported on September 23 that according to his wife, Fatemeh Karroubi, Mehdi Karroubi had been suffering from severe knee pain and shingles for the past four weeks and was being treated for these problems at home. However, he was transferred to hospital yesterday after he developed gastrointestinal problems.
Fatemeh Karroubi reported that her husband’s physical health have been seriously compromised by the house arrest; however, she added that his spirits remain strong.
She further added that having a different administration in power has not yet resulted in any significant changes to the situation of opposition leaders under house arrest.
The Rohani administration has made attempts to secure the release of MirHosein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard and Mehdi Karroubi from house arrest. They have been cut off from the public for having challenged the result of the 2009 presidential election, which triggered mass street demonstrations.
The conservative factions of the Islamic Republic refer to them as seditious elements and have opposed all reformist efforts to release them.
