WANA (Apr 22) – Mehdi Karroubi, a prominent Iranian reformist official and former presidential candidate, has officially been released from house arrest after more than 14 years.

 

His son, Hossein Karroubi, confirmed the news on Sunday evening. “Yesterday afternoon, the security forces ended their physical presence at my father’s residence,” he said.

 

He added: “As I had previously announced, the original plan was for them to leave by April 9. However, due to certain security and protective considerations, the process was delayed by about ten days and was finally completed yesterday.”

 

Hossein Karroubi said, “Starting next week, given the nature of the residence and while ensuring no inconvenience to neighbors, we will be welcoming friends to visit my father.”

 

Mehdi Karroubi was placed under house arrest in 2011, alongside Mir-Hossein Mousavi, another presidential candidate, and his wife, academic and activist Zahra Rahnavard.

Mir-Hossein Mousavi, an Iranian former presidential candidate. Social media/ WANA News Agency

The move came in the aftermath of massive protests following the disputed 2009 presidential election, in which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner. Karroubi, Mousavi, and many of their supporters alleged widespread electoral fraud.

 

They became symbolic figures of the “Green Movement,” which emerged in the aftermath of the 2009 vote, drawing tens of thousands of protestors into the streets and sought political reform and greater civil liberties in Iran.

 

The situation escalated further in February 2011, when Karroubi and Mousavi called for demonstrations in support of the Arab Spring uprisings.

 

Shortly afterward, their call for a rally on February 14, 2011, in support of popular uprisings in Arab countries, reignited political tensions in Iran, leading to the house arrest of Mousavi and Karroubi along with their wives.