Iranians barred from visitng opposition leaders

MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi

Islamic Republic authorities prevented the youth branch of the National Trust Party from meeting with their leader, Mehdi Karroubi today.

Kaleme website reports: “In recent days, security forces have confronted social and political activists who have tried to visit Karroubi.”

A similar treatment has been given to people attempting to visit the other disputer of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election victory, MirHosein Mousavi.

Reportedly the judiciary has issued an official order to stop people from visiting Mehdi Karroubi and MirHosein Mousavi.

The Islamic Republic has stepped up pressure on the opposition leaders in the past two weeks trying to push them further into isolation.

While the authorities have shied away from formal prosecution of the two leaders, in the past year, they have used various tactics to silence their protests.

MirHosein Mousavi has been dismissed from his position as head of the Academy of Fine Arts and become the target of repeated slander and accusations by the authorities, while Mehdi Karroubi’s National Trust Party offices have been shut down, his newspaper banned and his home, car and person have been repeatedly attacked by pro-government forces.

The opposition leaders have remained defiant however, interpreting these policies as the sign of the perceived strength of the protest and reform movement.