Karroubi urges detained Iranian dissident to end hunger strike

Mehdi Khazali

Iranian opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi, called on detained blogger, Mehdi Khazali to end his hunger strike in prison.

Saham News reports that Karroubi visited the Khazali family on Sunday to lend his support to the wife and family of the detained dissident.

Mehdi Khazali was arrested over three weeks ago charged with “activities against national security and disturbing public perception.” Over eight days ago, he started a hunger strike “in protest to interrogations and pressures” in prison.

Khazali was arrested earlier, after the controversial re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in summer of 2009. He was released after about two months on a $20,000 bail.

Mehdi Khazali is a staunch Ahmadinejad critic. In his blogs, Khazali has referred to the Iranian president as “a psychopath” and offered him therapy.

Mehdi Khazali is the son of the hardline cleric, Ayatollah Abolghassem Khazali. The conservative member of the Guardian Council officially has disowned his son through a public announcement.