Statement by the spokesperson of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the continued house arrest in Iran of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi

Brussels, 15-2-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The Spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, made the following statement today, two years on from the house arrest of Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi in Iran:

“The High Representative is very concerned that, after two years, Iranian opposition leaders Mehdi Karroub and Mir Hossein Mousavi, as well as Mr Mousavi’s wife, Zahra Rahnavard, continue to be under house arrest.

This was done without any legal process, in violation of Iran’s international obligations to respect the fundamental rights of all its citizens. To the EU’s knowledge, they have had severely limited access to visits, including from their own family members, who have been harassed: and this despite repeated calls by the international community to remedy the situation.

The High Representative calls on the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as she has done on various occasions in the past, to grant them their right to freedom of movement.”

FOR FURTHER DETAILS:
Michael Mann +32 498 999 780 – +32 2 584 9780- Michael.Mann@eeas.europa.eu
Maja Kocijancic +32 498 984 425 – +32 2 298 65 70 – Maja.Kocijancic@ec.europa.eu
Sebastien Brabant +32 460 75 09 98 – Sebastien.Brabant@ec.europa.eu
/abila Massrali +32 460 754 175 – +32 2 29 69218 – /abila.Massrali@ec.europa.eu
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