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| Calls Mount to Free 2 Iranian Opposition Leaders | Calls Mount to Free 2 Iranian Opposition Leaders |
| (17 days later) | |
| TEHRAN — A stone’s throw from President Hassan Rouhani’s office, in an alley blocked off by security forces, Iran’s main opposition leader has been living under house arrest together with his wife for the past thousand days or so. | TEHRAN — A stone’s throw from President Hassan Rouhani’s office, in an alley blocked off by security forces, Iran’s main opposition leader has been living under house arrest together with his wife for the past thousand days or so. |
| Only months ago, merely uttering in public the name of the leader, Mir Hussein Moussavi, could have led to arrest; a newspaper’s printing it invited almost certain shutdown. | Only months ago, merely uttering in public the name of the leader, Mir Hussein Moussavi, could have led to arrest; a newspaper’s printing it invited almost certain shutdown. |
| Last week, however, calls for the release of Mr. Moussavi and another prominent opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi, echoed over the campus of Shahid Behesti University in Tehran, shouted by students who carried a green banner, the color of the 2009 antigovernment protests that propelled both men, presidential candidates at the time, into their opposition roles — and ultimately house arrest. | Last week, however, calls for the release of Mr. Moussavi and another prominent opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi, echoed over the campus of Shahid Behesti University in Tehran, shouted by students who carried a green banner, the color of the 2009 antigovernment protests that propelled both men, presidential candidates at the time, into their opposition roles — and ultimately house arrest. |
| On Tuesday nine prominent politicians, activists and journalists wrote an open letter to Mr. Rouhani asking him to take measures to lift the house arrests of Mr. Moussavi and Mr. Karroubi. The letter, featured prominently on the front page of the reformist newspaper Etemaad, warned him “not to remain entrapped in the past,” and encouraged him to “enhance national unity.” | On Tuesday nine prominent politicians, activists and journalists wrote an open letter to Mr. Rouhani asking him to take measures to lift the house arrests of Mr. Moussavi and Mr. Karroubi. The letter, featured prominently on the front page of the reformist newspaper Etemaad, warned him “not to remain entrapped in the past,” and encouraged him to “enhance national unity.” |
| For Mr. Rouhani, a self-described centrist who was elected on a promise not just to solve the country’s nuclear controversy but also ease restrictions on personal freedoms, the calls for the men’s release are posing a major domestic test. While not wanting to disappoint his reformist supporters, he also needs to be careful not to more thoroughly alienate powerful hard-liners who have already started to criticize his nuclear policy, which resulted in a temporary deal with the West. | For Mr. Rouhani, a self-described centrist who was elected on a promise not just to solve the country’s nuclear controversy but also ease restrictions on personal freedoms, the calls for the men’s release are posing a major domestic test. While not wanting to disappoint his reformist supporters, he also needs to be careful not to more thoroughly alienate powerful hard-liners who have already started to criticize his nuclear policy, which resulted in a temporary deal with the West. |
| After losing to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a 2009 presidential election widely regarded as fraudulent, Mr. Moussavi, a former prime minister, and Mr. Karroubi, a former head of Parliament, refused to accept the vote outcome and led a monthslong uprising on the streets of Tehran and other major cities. | After losing to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a 2009 presidential election widely regarded as fraudulent, Mr. Moussavi, a former prime minister, and Mr. Karroubi, a former head of Parliament, refused to accept the vote outcome and led a monthslong uprising on the streets of Tehran and other major cities. |
| While hundreds of politicians, journalists and ordinary citizens were arrested in the violent suppression of the protests — and sentenced in televised, Stalinist show trials — the two former presidential candidates remained free. But after they urged their supporters to organize protests in support of the Arab Spring movement in 2011, both men and Mr. Moussavi’s wife, Zahra Rahnavard, were placed under house arrest. Since then only direct relatives have managed to contact them. | While hundreds of politicians, journalists and ordinary citizens were arrested in the violent suppression of the protests — and sentenced in televised, Stalinist show trials — the two former presidential candidates remained free. But after they urged their supporters to organize protests in support of the Arab Spring movement in 2011, both men and Mr. Moussavi’s wife, Zahra Rahnavard, were placed under house arrest. Since then only direct relatives have managed to contact them. |
| But the surprise election of Mr. Rouhani in June and the temporary nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers have changed the political dynamic in Iran, giving room to long-silenced voices to ask for domestic changes. | But the surprise election of Mr. Rouhani in June and the temporary nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers have changed the political dynamic in Iran, giving room to long-silenced voices to ask for domestic changes. |
| “I am no longer afraid to shout slogans,” said Mohammad, 20, a philosophy student at Shahid Behesti University, as he joined others who called for the release of political prisoners on the campus grounds. “The atmosphere in Iran has changed,” he said, declining to give his family name out of fear of the security forces. “Now we want to see results of those changes.” | “I am no longer afraid to shout slogans,” said Mohammad, 20, a philosophy student at Shahid Behesti University, as he joined others who called for the release of political prisoners on the campus grounds. “The atmosphere in Iran has changed,” he said, declining to give his family name out of fear of the security forces. “Now we want to see results of those changes.” |
| In response, hard-liners in recent weeks have been using Friday Prayer venues and state news media to stress how much “Islamic leniency” has been shown toward both men, with key prayer leaders calling for the execution of “the heads of the 2009 sedition,” as they call Mr. Moussavi and Mr. Karroubi. | In response, hard-liners in recent weeks have been using Friday Prayer venues and state news media to stress how much “Islamic leniency” has been shown toward both men, with key prayer leaders calling for the execution of “the heads of the 2009 sedition,” as they call Mr. Moussavi and Mr. Karroubi. |
| Last weekend, as some students shouted for the release of the prisoners while others called for their execution, Mr. Rouhani, speaking on the occasion of student day, took the middle ground. | Last weekend, as some students shouted for the release of the prisoners while others called for their execution, Mr. Rouhani, speaking on the occasion of student day, took the middle ground. |
| “The government is committed to all the promises it has made to the people, but to achieve our goals, we need internal consensus,” he said, hinting that his government alone is not able to sign off on the release. | “The government is committed to all the promises it has made to the people, but to achieve our goals, we need internal consensus,” he said, hinting that his government alone is not able to sign off on the release. |
| Officially, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which is headed by Mr. Rouhani, is in charge of the house arrests dossier. But Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is expected to have the final say in any release, activists say. | Officially, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which is headed by Mr. Rouhani, is in charge of the house arrests dossier. But Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is expected to have the final say in any release, activists say. |
| “Clearly, our leader is looking for a solution,” said Ali Shakoori-rad, a reformist politician who through one middleman says he is in contact with both Mr. Moussavi and Mr. Karroubi. “We want to help him to become a Nelson Mandela who can unify all factions, but for that to happen both men need to be freed.” | “Clearly, our leader is looking for a solution,” said Ali Shakoori-rad, a reformist politician who through one middleman says he is in contact with both Mr. Moussavi and Mr. Karroubi. “We want to help him to become a Nelson Mandela who can unify all factions, but for that to happen both men need to be freed.” |
| Others, while confident that the release will come eventually, say it is likely to be timed for a moment of strategic importance for Iran’s leaders. “By releasing them, Iran could, for instance, pre-empt Western complaints over human rights,” said Amir Mohebbian, a political analyst regularly briefed by Iran’s leadership. | Others, while confident that the release will come eventually, say it is likely to be timed for a moment of strategic importance for Iran’s leaders. “By releasing them, Iran could, for instance, pre-empt Western complaints over human rights,” said Amir Mohebbian, a political analyst regularly briefed by Iran’s leadership. |
| He added that the reformists, long marginalized during the Ahmadinejad years, are using the house arrests to gain a political victory. | He added that the reformists, long marginalized during the Ahmadinejad years, are using the house arrests to gain a political victory. |
| “They want President Rouhani to choose between them and hard-liners,” Mr. Mohebbian said. “But Mr. Rouhani understands that it will be very complicated for him to maintain his policy of balancing factions on this politically difficult issue.” | “They want President Rouhani to choose between them and hard-liners,” Mr. Mohebbian said. “But Mr. Rouhani understands that it will be very complicated for him to maintain his policy of balancing factions on this politically difficult issue.” |
| Iran’s reformists say the longer the house arrests continue, the more their position will be strengthened. “Every day our Joseph is becoming dearer to us,” said Mr. Shakoori-rad, referring to the biblical story of an inmate, Joseph, who ended up becoming the chief minister to the king of Egypt. | Iran’s reformists say the longer the house arrests continue, the more their position will be strengthened. “Every day our Joseph is becoming dearer to us,” said Mr. Shakoori-rad, referring to the biblical story of an inmate, Joseph, who ended up becoming the chief minister to the king of Egypt. |
| Iranian hard-line commanders and clerics, who had been mostly silent since Mr. Rouhani’s election, have begun speaking out against any form of domestic détente, saying social media like Twitter and Facebook will continue to be inaccessible in Iran and pushing for more morality police officers on the streets. | Iranian hard-line commanders and clerics, who had been mostly silent since Mr. Rouhani’s election, have begun speaking out against any form of domestic détente, saying social media like Twitter and Facebook will continue to be inaccessible in Iran and pushing for more morality police officers on the streets. |
| And they vow no release of Mr. Moussavi and Mr. Karroubi. | And they vow no release of Mr. Moussavi and Mr. Karroubi. |
| “The reformists are trying to score political points,” said Hamid Reza Taraghi, a political activist with close ties to Iran’s leaders. “They are fooling themselves, as there will be no change in the status quo of the heads of the sedition.” | “The reformists are trying to score political points,” said Hamid Reza Taraghi, a political activist with close ties to Iran’s leaders. “They are fooling themselves, as there will be no change in the status quo of the heads of the sedition.” |
| He noted that Mr. Rouhani, as a member of the Supreme National Security Council, agreed with the decision to place the men under house arrest and spoke in favor of their detention during a huge antiopposition rally in 2009. | He noted that Mr. Rouhani, as a member of the Supreme National Security Council, agreed with the decision to place the men under house arrest and spoke in favor of their detention during a huge antiopposition rally in 2009. |
| “Imagine the risk the president would take helping to get them released,” Mr. Taraghi said. “For instance, reformist activists could kill both men, which could lead to unrest.” | “Imagine the risk the president would take helping to get them released,” Mr. Taraghi said. “For instance, reformist activists could kill both men, which could lead to unrest.” |
| Reformists warned that it could be hard-liners who would stir up trouble, if both men were freed. “In the past they have instigated crisis, such as when they stormed the university dorms in 1999 and when they tried to assassinate Saeed Hajjarian, a key reformist ideologue, in 2000,” Mr. Shakoori-rad said. | Reformists warned that it could be hard-liners who would stir up trouble, if both men were freed. “In the past they have instigated crisis, such as when they stormed the university dorms in 1999 and when they tried to assassinate Saeed Hajjarian, a key reformist ideologue, in 2000,” Mr. Shakoori-rad said. |
| But he insisted that Mr. Moussavi, if released, would not speak out against the ruling establishment. “Like all Iranians, he is hopeful that Mr. Rouhani will bring about change.” | But he insisted that Mr. Moussavi, if released, would not speak out against the ruling establishment. “Like all Iranians, he is hopeful that Mr. Rouhani will bring about change.” |
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: | This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: |
| Correction: January 28, 2014 | |
An | An article on Dec. 15 about mounting calls in Iran to free two opposition leaders, Mir Hussein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who have been under house arrest since 2011, referred incorrectly to Joseph, the biblical figure to whom one reformist politician compared Mr. Moussavi. According to the Bible, Joseph, a former inmate, became the chief minister of the king of Egypt, not the king himself. A reader pointed out the error in an email shortly after the article was published; this correction was delayed because editors did not follow through on the complaint. |