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Karroubi Ends Hunger Strike As Government Promises To Pull Out Security From His House


Photo Released by Mehdi Karroubi's son on twitter shows him in hospital after heart procedure in July 2017.
Photo Released by Mehdi Karroubi's son on twitter shows him in hospital after heart procedure in July 2017.

Opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi has ended his hunger strike after authorities promised to pull out intelligence agents from his house.

Mr Karroubi has been under house arrest for more than six years under stringent conditions, including continuous presence of intelligence agents at his house.

Mr, Karroubi who has recently been hospitalized and undergone a heart procedure, went on a hunger strike on Wednesday, August 16 and was again taken to hospital.

However, Thursday afternoon his son, Mohammad Taqi Karroubi made an unexpected announcement on Twitter that his father has ended hunger strike. He added that the ministers of health and the deputy intelligence minister visited his father at the hospital and promised to pull out the security agents.

This was one of Mr. Karroubi's demands to end his hunger strike. He had also demanded to face an open trial in court, to determine if he is guilty or not.

His son also announced that the two officials promised that President Hassan Rouhani's government will do its utmost to realize Mr. Karroubi's demand for a trial.

The Minister of Health, Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi has told the official IRNA news agency that his visit to Mr. Karroubi was ordered by president Rouhani. He also said that Mr. Karroubi's health situation is under control.

But the minister made no mention of any promises to Karroubi.

So far, all these promises have been in the name of the Rouhani government. It is not yet clear if other powerful organs in the Islamic Republic, including Supreme Leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei agree with the Rouhani government.

Mr. Karroubi, along with Mirhossein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard have been put under house arrest since February 2011 without any trial or a clear order by any of the Islamic Republic authorities. It is generally believed that their detention has been a decision of the Supreme Leader.

Mousavi and Karroubi were both presidential candidates facing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2009 presidential elections. Official results gave the victory to Ahmadinejad, which enraged the public and led to months of unrest and the death of dozens of protestors.

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