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Mehdi Karroubi: Iran opposition leader taken to hospital after hunger strike Mehdi Karroubi: Iran opposition leader ends hunger strike
(about 4 hours later)
An Iranian opposition leader held under house arrest since 2011 has been admitted to hospital a day after he began a hunger strike, his family says. An Iranian opposition leader held under house arrest since 2011 has ended his hunger strike after the authorities accepted one of his two demands.
Mehdi Karroubi stopped eating and drinking to press the authorities to give him a public trial and remove security agents from his house. Mehdi Karroubi, 79, stopped eating and drinking on Wednesday to press for a public trial and the removal from his home of intelligence ministry agents.
The 70-year-old cleric was taken to a hospital in Tehran in the early hours of Thursday due to high blood pressure. On Thursday morning, he was admitted to hospital with high blood pressure.
He suffers from heart disease and has required hospital treatment before. Later, his son announced that he had ended the strike after "the withdrawal of the agents from his house".
Mr Karroubi and fellow reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi, 75, were candidates in Iran's disputed presidential election in 2009, which was won by the hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mehdi Karroubi and fellow reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi, 75, were candidates in Iran's disputed presidential election in 2009, which was won by the hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Millions of opposition supporters took to the streets to demand a re-run of the vote amid allegations of widespread fraud.Millions of opposition supporters took to the streets to demand a re-run of the vote amid allegations of widespread fraud.
But Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted the result was valid and ordered a crackdown on dissent that saw dozens of opposition supporters killed and thousands detained.But Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted the result was valid and ordered a crackdown on dissent that saw dozens of opposition supporters killed and thousands detained.
Mr Karroubi and Mr Mousavi were placed under house arrest six years ago after the Arab Spring sparked fresh protests. They have never been formally charged. Mr Karroubi and Mr Mousavi, along with his wife Zahra Rahnavard, were placed under house arrest six years ago after the Arab Spring sparked fresh protests. They have never been formally charged.
'Pray a lot'
Mr Karroubi's wife, Fatemeh, told the Saham News website on Wednesday that her husband would end his hunger strike only if the authorities met two demands.
The first was the removal of intelligence ministry agents inside their home as well as recently-installed security cameras, which she said had "no precedent before or after the [1979 Islamic] Revolution in any house arrest".
The second demand was for a date for a public trial to be set in accordance with the constitution. Mrs Karroubi said her husband would respect the verdict even though he "does not expect a fair trial".
But early on Thursday, his son Mohammad Taghi tweeted: "At 01:00, father was sent to hospital due to the hunger strike. Pray a lot."
He later told BBC Persian that his father was in intensive care and was still not accepting food or water.
In response, the doctors had put him on an intravenous drip, he added.
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His father had a pacemaker fitted earlier this month and is prescribed heart medication, which he continued to take after starting the hunger strike. Mr Karroubi's wife, Fatemeh, told the Saham News website on Wednesday that her husband would end his hunger strike only if the authorities met his demands for the agents to be removed from their home and for a trial date to be set.
Mohammad Karroubi also said former President Mohammad Khatami had told the Karroubi family that the intelligence ministry should be able to withdraw its 12 agents from their home. "He does not expect a fair trial, but wants it to be public and would respect the verdict," she said.
Supporters of Mr Karroubi and Mr Mousavi repeatedly urged current President Hassan Rouhani to release the two men during his re-election campaign this year. But early on Thursday, his son Mohammad Taghi tweeted: "At 01:00, father was sent to hospital due to the hunger strike. Pray a lot."
He later told BBC Persian that his father was in intensive care and was still not accepting food or water. In response, doctors put him on an intravenous drip.
The cleric had a pacemaker fitted earlier this month and was prescribed heart medication, which he continued to take after starting the hunger strike.
On Thursday afternoon, Mohammad Karroubi told BBC Persian that his father had ended the strike after meeting high-ranking security officers, who he said had agreed to withdraw the agents from his home.
The demand for a public trial had not yet been met, he added.
Mohammad Karroubi was separately quoted by Saham as saying that his father would have to stay in the coronary care unit at the hospital for another 48 hours.
Many reformist figures, including former President Mohammad Khatami, had urged the current president, Hassan Rouhani, to meet Mr Karroubi's demands.
In March, a court sentenced Mr Karroubi's eldest son, Hossein, to six months in prison after convicting him of circulating "propaganda against the regime". He published a letter his father wrote to Mr Rouhani calling for a trial.In March, a court sentenced Mr Karroubi's eldest son, Hossein, to six months in prison after convicting him of circulating "propaganda against the regime". He published a letter his father wrote to Mr Rouhani calling for a trial.