The son of Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi reports that his father has not been allowed to leave his home once during his 100-day house arrest.
In a report posted on Mehdi Karroubi’s personal website, his son writes: “In response to the false news that Mr. Karroubi has been released from house arrest, which has prompted repeated telephone inquiries from friends and supporters, I wanted to inform everyone that his situation has not changed and he is still under strict house arrest.”
“As of today, his one hundredth day of house arrest, Mr. Karroubi has not left the house even once, and during that time he has not even been allowed telephone contact with his children or grandchildren.”
Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi was put under house arrest together with his wife, Fatemeh Karroubi, after he and the other opposition leader, MirHosein Mousavi, rallied people to demonstrate last February in support of the recent Arab uprisings.
The two opposition leaders and their wives have been held captive in their homes despite the judiciary’s refusal to officially press charges against them.
“We hope that the government ends this illegal treatment as soon as possible,” the younger Karroubi writes.
Last week, the pro-government website Neday-e Enghelab published a report on the Karroubis entitled “the latest situation of the leaders of sedition and their wives.” They wrote that Fatemeh Karroubi was regularly allowed to leave her home and attend to her errands, and Mehdi Karroubi goes to the pool three times a week and orders food from the best restaurants in Tehran.
However, Fatemeh Karroubi, who was once allowed out for medical reasons, said in a short interview before her return that their entire apartment is under the control of security forces. She said she and her husband are denied the basic rights of prisoners such as making a phone call or getting daily fresh air.