Iran Document: Karroubi "If Green Movement is Dead, Why Do You Continue Arresting Innocent People?"

On Thursday, Mehdi Karroubi visited the families of Hassan Asadi Zeidabadi and Ali Jamali, detained activists of the student alumni organisation Advar-e Takhim Vahdat. This was his statement, translated by Banooye Sabz:

The actions by the judiciary and security forces have no legal justification. Unfortunately judges have become irrelevant and it is the interrogators who now have the first and last word....

You see, they initially sought to hold formal elections but came to the conclusion that in order to stay in power and still put on a front that there is democratic rule, they needed to have an election process that suited them and ensured that certain individuals did better at the voting booths. This issue gradually continued, and during the 10th presidential elections when we witnessed the height of disrespect regarding the people's vote, our citizens finally responded strongly....

They [the ruling government] did not expect such a strong response by our citizens and resorted to oppression. Naturally, as the people's dissatisfaction increases, because they never expected such a reaction, in order to save themselves and remain in power, they resorted to increased pressure....

You [ruling government] claim to have stifled and inhibited the Green Movement. If that is the case, why then do you speak of the so called sedition on a daily basis? Why do you continue to speak behind people's back? Why are you so afraid to allow the slightest movement by the people? If the so called sedition is dead, then why do you continue to endlessly arrest innocent people?...

The legal, Green Movement that is fighting for the rights of our people continues. No matter how many people you arrest, no matter how much you try to intimidate, despite your propaganda machine, you cannot stop this movement. The people's reform movement will continue until it has reached its goals....

They [students and members of the academia] are the true engine of reform in our country and have endured the most pressure. Attacks on the members of Advar Tahkim Vahdat are an attack on me and my supporters. They insist that we are in the minority, yet they continue to arrest and issue heavy sentences in an attempt to control the universities and make sure that no one dares protest....

During the revolution's first decade, religious biases, a consequence of the oppressive pressures of the Shah's regime, resulted in the harsh treatment by some individuals of those who did not adhere to hijab rules. When the Imam [Khomeini] found out about these acts, he immediately ordered that these individuals who had acted arbitrarily be arrested and punished. It is then that the Imam also issued article 8 addressing an individual's right to privacy in order to prevent arbitrary and biased actions of this nature.

Today, we are witnessing the formation of entities designed to confront and harass our people. Unfortunately these faceless individuals without an identity who know nothing about the past and have no understanding of the history of our revolution are the causing disrespect and leading the attacks on our right to privacy. The attack on my residence by a number of thugs with a history of excessive drinking, disorderly conduct, and prison records is just one example of this type of unacceptable, yet prevalent behavior....

When I was incarcerated, my son Hossein was also only a few months old. Rest assured that we too have experienced such difficult conditions.  Be patient and stand firm.  Unfortunately their [ruling government] only form of interaction these days is based on pressure and brute force. All this pressure is useless and the situation cannot remain this way for ever. I am hopeful that we will soon witness a resolution to our problems and that all political prisoners will return to their families.