continued alarm in Iran about the unknown fates of Mousavi and Karroubi

Liveblog: Where are Mousavi and Karroubi?
via Dissected News by James the Hype on 2/27/11

On this open-ended liveblog we will maintain updates on the whereabouts of Iran’s opposition leaders until such a time as they are released from their house arrests. Check back for updates.

02/27/2011 – 0043 GMT – CNN confirms that Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard (Mousavi’s wife and an accomplished activist ) , and Mehdi and Fatemeh Karroubi have been removed to a “safe house” by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), supposedly to “protect” the leaders from members of the opposition who are looking for martyrs. Within minutes of the report, the claims that the opposition movement would harm their own leaders were widely condemned by experts, analysts, and members of the opposition.

According to Al Jazeera,

“The head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission has said that Mousavi and Karroubi were “escorted” by security forces.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi also denied they were under house arrest, and told Italian newspaper Il Manifesto that “they also committed certain illegal acts such as organising protests without a permit, and for this they may become subject to prosecution”.

The two men had been reportedly arrested secretly without being summoned or charged, and their contact with the outside world was effectively cut.”

As of right now, no one knows the location or the condition of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi and Fatemeh Karroubi except the government of Iran.

02/26/2011 – On the morning of February 26, 2011 (7 Esfand) the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran published a report that Mousavi and Karroubi (and their wives) had been removed from house arrest to a “safe house”, by unknown forces and without being formally charged.

Former President Mohammad Khatami, Ayatollah Dastgheib, the reformist Islamic Iran Participation Front, and Ahmed Montazeri, the son of the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, were among those who spoke out against the house arrests of these leaders.

In the days before this event, Mehdi Karroubi’s house was attacked and occupied by security forces, and both leaders had been increasingly isolated from their families and advisors.

02/14/2011 (25 Bahman) In the days before the opposition took to the streets in solidarity with the protesters in Egypt, reports began to circulate that Mir Hossein Mousavi had been placed under house arrest. During this time, Mehdi Karroubi was also placed under house arrest and his phone lines were cut.