The Rohani administration has responded to criticism from Iranian MP Ali Motahari over its failure to secure the release of the opposition leaders under house arrest, saying it is working hard to resolve the situation but it does not feel it’s necessary to publicize every effort.
Mohammad Bagher Nobakht told reporters on Wednesday October 8, following a cabinet meeting: “Mr. Motahari is a courageous, moral and outspoken MP who expresses his views in compliance with his duties as a representative; however, he certainly does not have all the information.”
He went on to say: “The government does not feel it has to publicize all of its actions at all times.”
In a letter, Ali Motahari accused the government of failing to take effective action regarding the opposition leaders, who have been under house arrest since 2011, saying Parliament may have to summon the president for formal questioning on this matter.
MirHosein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard and Mehdi Karroubi have been under house arrest for more than three years for challenging Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s 2009 election victory with allegations of vote fraud. While they have often been accused of sedition, no formal charges have ever been brought against them.
Nobakht stressed that the government remains committed to resolving the issue of these house arrests as well as all of its other campaign promises.
The conservative factions of the Islamic Republic have refused to accept any change in the opposition leaders’ house arrest without some sort of public form of apology from them.
