Opposition leader criticizes Iran's Supreme Leader

Mehdi Karroubi

Iranian opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi sharply criticized “the powers assumed by the Supreme Leader” and added: “Even God does not assume such rights for itself in relationship to its creatures.”

In a statement published on Saham News website, the head of National Trust Party stressed that they are using “Velayat Faqih (leadership of an expert cleric) to cut off the roots” of the Constitution and the Islamic Republic.

Mehdi Karroubi did not refer to any specific names; however, Iran’s current supreme leader is Ayatollah Khamenei

Mehdi Karroubi drew precedence for the current opposition against the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from the history of the Islamic Republic saying that in 1986 when MirHosein Mousavi, the current opposition leader, was elected as the Prime Minister, 99 Members of Parliament opposed him.

He added that Ayatollah Khamenei, who was president at the time, opposed the prime minister while the Supreme Leader at the time, Ayatollah Khomeini, supported MirHosein Mousavi. Karroubi maintains while Ayatollah Khamenei announced his opposition to the Prime Minister, no one “protested or insulted him” and none of the Members of Parliament were arrested for “opposition with the regime or the Supreme Leader.”

Following the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2009 presidential elections, Ahmadinejad opponents in the presidential campaign, MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi made allegations of ballot fraud and widespread protests all across the country threw the country into deep turmoil.

Ayatollah Khamenei supported Ahmadinejad and called an end to protests sending a green light to confront protesters. The confrontations has so far led to tens of deaths and thousands of detainees many of whom have been reportedly abused and tortured in prison. The establishment has accused the opposition of trying to topple the system, an allegation repeatedly denied by the opposition.

Karroubi emphasized: “Ayatollah Khamenei announced his opinion about the presidential elections but the people were of a different opinion and they were after the votes they had put in the ballot.”

Karroubi went on to say that the “opinion of the Supreme Leader” is not sufficient grounds for attacking the people, senior Shiite leaders and the family and friends of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini.

Mehdi Karroubi was attacked last week by the plain clothes pro-government forces while he was visiting senior Shiite leader, Ayatollah Sanei in Qom. His visit was used as an excuse for the attackers to vandalize the reformist cleric’s office.

Mehdi Karroubi once more accused the government of “engineering” the results of the presidential elections. He condemned the “violence, torture and harassment of protesters” who were peacefully asking: “Where is my vote?”

Following the announcement of the victory of Ahmadinejad in the elections last June, millions of people took to the streets of Tehran and other major cities staging peaceful demonstrations with the question: “Where is my vote?”

The government has responded to the people’s peaceful protests with fierce violence and arrest of protesters continues as the government tries to put an end to the protests through intimidation.