Wednesday
Oct142009
Iran: The Latest on Mehdi Karroubi
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 16:25
Iran: Karroubi Responds to Government Threats “Bring. It. On.”
The Latest from Iran (14 October): Watching Karroubi, Rafsanjani, and the Supreme Leader’s Health
The Latest from Iran (13 October): Government Threatens Karroubi
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From an Enduring America correspondent inside Iran:
Karroubi's many offices have all been closed down. The only way to meet him now is to go to his house in a northern neighborhood of Tehran, but this is a problem as well since the house is being watched 24/7 and only immediate family and house workers can go in and out freely. This does not mean that he is under house arrest, but there are some unwritten restrictions in effect.
Karroubi is going to be sued by the government for things that he said with regards to the post-election victims of rape, but this will not put an end to the speculations about the abuses, nor will it end the support that he enjoys from the rest of the Green movement. His moves should be considered in relation to those of others, such as the second letter sent by the Association of Combatant Clerics to the head of judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, warning him not to be ignorant toward the truth about the claims over the Government of President Ahmadinejad.
Karroubi is not a man to give in to threat. The advantage that he has over [Mir Hossein] Mousavi, for example, is that he is a cleric wearing the famous clothing which makes it more difficult to discredit him. Karroubi was the only person that Imam Khomeini trusted with the authority over all his assets and belongings; it is not an easy task to tip over such a trustworthy individual.
The Latest from Iran (14 October): Watching Karroubi, Rafsanjani, and the Supreme Leader’s Health
The Latest from Iran (13 October): Government Threatens Karroubi
Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis
From an Enduring America correspondent inside Iran:Karroubi's many offices have all been closed down. The only way to meet him now is to go to his house in a northern neighborhood of Tehran, but this is a problem as well since the house is being watched 24/7 and only immediate family and house workers can go in and out freely. This does not mean that he is under house arrest, but there are some unwritten restrictions in effect.
Karroubi is going to be sued by the government for things that he said with regards to the post-election victims of rape, but this will not put an end to the speculations about the abuses, nor will it end the support that he enjoys from the rest of the Green movement. His moves should be considered in relation to those of others, such as the second letter sent by the Association of Combatant Clerics to the head of judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, warning him not to be ignorant toward the truth about the claims over the Government of President Ahmadinejad.
Karroubi is not a man to give in to threat. The advantage that he has over [Mir Hossein] Mousavi, for example, is that he is a cleric wearing the famous clothing which makes it more difficult to discredit him. Karroubi was the only person that Imam Khomeini trusted with the authority over all his assets and belongings; it is not an easy task to tip over such a trustworthy individual.
Reader Comments (6)
The fact that Mehdi Karroubi still is free says a great deal. Every time they warn him, he says more-- their tactics seem to embolden him. I'm sure he saw these restrictions coming. Wonder what his next steps will be
Amy Jan !! We cant get away from each other ,,
FYI
A relative of Mousavi is now in Germany. According to his / her friend, Mousavi is under such heavy surveillance that he and his family members pass on important messages to each other by writing them down - at home.
This same friend has a pessimistic view on Iran's future, fearing armed clashes in the long-term. According to him the situation in Iran is explosive, and obviously the IRGC is not ready to ease off.
On the other hand Mohsen Sazegara is getting clearer in his daily message on Youtube. Today he frankly used the term "religious dictatorship". Surprise, surprise.
"Karroubi was the only person that Imam Khomeini trusted with the authority over all his assets and belongings; it is not an easy task to tip over such a trustworthy individual."
Well even Imam Khomeini made mistakes sometimes. After all at one point he even trusted the traitor Montazeri.
Arshama,
Thank you for the information, which matches our own.
On Sazegara, I haven't featured his statements much because my perception is that he has more influence amongst Iranians outside Iran than inside. Is this a fair assessment?
S.
Scott,
Sazegara certainly does not represent the whole movement or its leaders, but it is interesting to see, how 30 year old maxims of this republic are slowly crumbling down, even within its reformist supporters outside Iran. Yesterday's debate at Frankfurt book fair was representative of two opposite attitudes, approving changes within this system against a system change.
If progressive reformists accept the latter, a gradual transition to a democratic system is perceivable, otherwise bloodshed is inevitable.
What we see at the moment is a huge more or less open debate about Iran's future, and I am convinced that Sazegara plays a role in it as an advisor and mediator. Open debate is impossible within the country, yesterday VOA Persian reported an unprecedented exit of journalists from the country, and Mashallah Shamsolvaezin speaks of 2000 jobless reporters:
http://www1.voanews.com/persian/news/iran/iran-flow-out-journalists-2009-10-13-64096667.html
Sazegara, Makhmalbaf and others thus have to act as a mouthpiece for the muzzled.