Mohammad Taghi Karroubi, the son of Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi, reports that his father was taken to hospital for a series of tests.
Mohammad Taghi Karroubi told Saham News that his father, who has been under house arrest since February of 2011, has developed respiratory and digestive problems and last week he was taken to hospital for a series of tests.
He reported that his father has experienced “serious weight loss, high blood concentration and loss of appetite” in the course of his house arrest.
He added that the conditions of his arrest are complicating these health issues, as he is being kept in an office space that lacks the facilities available in “a simple residential unit, such the possibility of catching some fresh air.”
Karroubi went on to say that security forces keep the windows shut and there is very little light in the facility. The building is reportedly an old building infested with insects and cockroaches. The place is, therefore, being regularly sprayed with chemicals, which, according to the opposition leader’s son, may be the cause of his father’s respiratory complications.
While the deputy head of the Etemad Melli Party recently reported that actions are being taken toward the release of their leader, Mohammad Taghi Karroubi said his family has not been informed of any possible end to the “illegal treatment” of his father.
Mehdi Karroubi and MirHosein Mousavi, two presidential candidates in the 2009 election, were put under house arrest in 2011 for refusing to recognize the legitimacy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government and for triggering mass protests.
While the two have been under house arrest for more than two years, neither has been formally charged by the judiciary.
MirHosein Mousavi’s wife, Zahra Rahnavard, has also been under house arrest with her husband since 2011.
