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Prominent Iranians call for release of Green Movement leaders

August 17, 2011

An open letter has called on the Iranian authorities to release opposition leaders Mir Hossein Musavi (right), Mehdi Karrubi and their wives.

Hundreds of Iranian political and civil activists have signed an open letter to international organizations demanding help in securing the release of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Musavi, Mehdi Karrubi, and their wives, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports.

The four have been under house arrest for six months, since Musavi and Karrubi called on Iranians to participate in a rally on February 14 in support of the democratic uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

The letter, published on the opposition Kaleme website on August 16, states that "During this period, not a single person associated with the Iranian state, judiciary, or security forces has accepted responsibility for these transgressions and violations of the law [regarding the cases of Musavi and Karrubi and their wives]."

The letter says that no arrest warrants have been issued against Musavi, Karrubi, or their spouses, Zahra Rahnavard and Fatemeh Karrubi. The judicial authorities have also not brought any charges against any of them.

Musavi's senior adviser, Ardeshir Amir-Arjomand, told Radio Farda on August 15 that isolating the leaders of Iran's Green Movement from the people has had the government's desired effect.

Amir-Arjomand said there is no denying that if its leaders were free, the Green Movement would be more dynamic and powerful than it has been since they were put under house arrest.

But he added that "despite the six-month incarceration of the movement's leaders, the movement has not ended."

Amir-Arjomand also said Iran's authoritarian regime is also paying a heavy price for the actions it has taken against Musavi and Karrubi and their wives.

Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi, prominent religious scholar Hassan Yousefi Eshkevari, and noted intellectuals Dariush Ashoori and Ramin Jahanbegloo are among the signatories of the letter.

Link to original story on RFE/RL website

Topics: Opposition,