Islamic Republic security forces allowed detained opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi to have an unexpected visit with his family yesterday.
Mohammad Hossein Karroubi, the opposition leader’s son, reported the visit on his Facebook page. He wrote that while his family was celebrating his daughter’s entry into university, which coincided with Mehdi Karroubi’s birthday, six security officials brought his father to their home and allowed him to stay with the family for an hour.
The son of the opposition leader indicates that his father’s morale was high but he appeared thinner that before. Mehdi Karrobui ascribed the weight loss to pacing up and down the apartment where he is being held.
Mohammad Hossein Karrobui also reported that the officials in charge of guarding his father have recently been changed, and he is being held under somewhat better conditions. He adds that in the next 10 days his father may be transferred to a better location in the northern part of Tehran.
Mehdi Karroubi was put under house arrest after he and MirHosein Mousavi rallied Iranians to demonstrate in solidarity with the Arab uprisings in the region. He was put under house arrest together with his wife and cut off from the outside world.
The house arrest had forced other residents in his housing complex out of their homes; therefore, Karroubi had urged the government to allow him to be transferred to a different location to stop that disruption.
The Karroubi family was told that if they prepared another house, the authorities might allow them to transfer the opposition leader there.
But when the family arranged for another house, the authorities refused to comply and instead moved him to a small apartment where even his wife was not allowed to stay because of the limited space.
The family has been very concerned for Karroubi’s health in the new location; despite the limited space in the apartment, he is not allowed out for fresh air.
Fatemeh Karroubi, Mehdi Karroubi’s wife said earlier that her husband has been denied the basic rights given to any detainees such as regular visits, access to books and newspapers and even fresh air.
She also indicated that while Karroubi is being held in custody without being officially charged, the family is also being forced to bear the cost of his incarceration.
MirHosein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard are also under house arrest since last February and prevented from outside contact.
