Source:
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
holds Iran's Supreme Leader responsible for the safety of presidential candidate
Mehdi Karroubi and his family following attacks on Karroubi's home by dozens of
armed plainclothes forces.
Karroubi's house after attacks
The attacks took place over three days and resulted in
graffiti, vandalism, broken windows, and shootings inside Karroubi's home.
Photographs of the attack can be viewed on the website of Saham News.
"It is unacceptable that dozens of plainclothes agents, armed
with guns, tear gas, and other weapons, had free reign to terrorize Karroubi's
family without any interruption from the police," said Hadi Ghaemi, the
Campaign's spokesman.
"The manner in which these attacks were conducted leaves no
doubt that the Iranian government orchestrated them," he added.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
Mehdi Karroubi's son, Hossein Karroubi, told the International
Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that the assailants entered the house by using
tear gas and live ammunition. "This morning, Friday, a crowd of between 70 and
80 people came along with 20 motorcyclists. They broke a lot of things which had
survived last night's attack. They chanted slogans and insults. They left at
about 3:00 p.m., saying, 'We will be back tonight.' We are waiting for them to
return tonight," he said.
"My father believes the attackers were organized by the
security forces and government. There is no point in filing a lawsuit against
these actions, as we know it's not going to go anywhere. The attackers have
complete impunity," he continued.
The attack on Karroubi's residence comes after comments made
by IRGC Commander Mohammad Ali Jafari, alluded to support for such attacks.
Jafari said that the people of Iran would judge the "heads of sedition," instead
of the regime, referring to opposition leaders. There was no attempt made by
police forces to stop the attacks, a sign that confrontations with opposition
leaders are being formally managed by pro-government and security forces.
"The police did not interfere at all. Only in the end, when
the attackers were done and they were exhausted, the Special Police Force
arrived and the attackers left. The only people defending the home were Karroubi
guards," said Hossein Karroubi regarding the lack of police presence during the
attack.
The Campaign has previously expressed its concern regarding
the role of police and Iranian intelligence in committing violence and
orchestrating organized attacks against the government's opposition. During the
first round of attacks against Karroubi, in a letter to the Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Karroubi's wife said that the attacks were being
conducted in support for the Supreme Leader.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran expresses
its grave concern about government-led violence and the spread of an atmosphere
of fear and intimidation through the use of thugs and plainclothes forces
coordinated by security forces.
"The International community should strongly condemn these
actions by the Iranian government and demand that the government refrain from
sanctioning such criminal acts," said Ghaemi. "The attacks on Karroubi's family
are another sign of the fast erosion of rule of law and the urgency of holding
the Iranian government responsible for its human rights violations," he added.
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Iran:
Hardliners Attack House Of Opposition Leader Karrubi
The son of opposition leader Mehdi Karrubi says hardliners tried to forcefully
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Karrubi -- who was at his father's house at the time of the attack -- told RFE/RL's
Radio Farda that the attackers fired shots at the house and smashed the windows
and surrounding street lamps. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE
Hossein Karroubi: Attack was response of Supreme Leader to my mother's letter
In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Hossein Karroubi talked about the recent
attacks on his father's residence. The residence of Mehdi Karroubi was under
attack by Basiji forces the night before Qhods. According to Hossein Karroubi,
bullets were fired at the water pipes and the entire house was filled with
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Iran: Women's Rights Campaigners Convicted, Lawyers Under Increased Persecution
Authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran are continuing to arrest and jail
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Iran: Zahra Rahnavard attacked by pro-government forces
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her residence
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