Families of war victims barred from visiting opposition leaders

MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi

Iranian security forces persisted today in their restrictions against visitors of the opposition leaders, MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi.

Kaleme website reports that families of two military commanders who died in the Iran-Iraq War tried to visit MirHosein Mousavi, Iran’s prime minister during the war, but the Bakeri and Hemmat families were prevented from meeting with the opposition leader by Iranian security forces.

The two families had visited the other opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi, yesterday.

After being impeded from visiting MirHosein Mousavi today, the two families tried to see Mehdi Karroubi again but were reportedly forced away by tear gas bombs. In addition, Ehsan Bakeri, son of the deceased commander, was briefly arrested by the police.

In the past weeks, the Islamic Republic establishment has stepped up pressure on MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi who challenge the legitimacy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government.

While numerous reformists along with scores of election protesters have been arrested by the Islamic Republic in order to silence the allegations of vote fraud in the 2009 presidential elections, Mousavi and Karroubi, the two disputing candidates of the elections have so far not been arrested.

However, the establishment has used every tactic ranging from dismissing them from government positions, to attacking their homes, offices and even their person on the streets in order to isolate them from the public.