Hossein Karubi: Those Who Murdered People Must Run Away

As a government-sponsored rally against the Iranian people’s green movement was under way, the government’s official news agency claimed that Mehdi Karubi and Mir-Hossein Mousavi had fled Tehran.  In response to this claim, Hossein Karubi told Rooz: “No, this is untrue and my father is still at his house.”

Mehdi Karubi’s son added, “If someone is going to run away it must be those who murdered people and whose hands are drenched in people’s blood.  Mr. Karubi has no reason to flee and is staying at his own house backed by the people, with no intention to run away.”

A person close to Mir-Hossein Mousavi also told Rooz that the war-time prime minister is also staying at his house after attending his nephew’s burial, and that such rumors and threats have no impact on Mr. Mousavi’s resolve to fight for people’s rights.  

Dismissing rumors of Zahra Rahnavard’s arrest, he said, “That is also a rumor, and as I speak with you neither she has been arrested nor Mr. Mousavi has left Tehran.”

The official government news agency, IRNA, had issued a report claiming that Mousavi and Karoubi had been transported to the Mazandaran province by the Islamic Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps and intelligence ministry.  An hour later, the news agency reported that two “conspirators” had fled to Mazandaran.  Both reports were later denied.   

Government Rally
While political and media circles in Iran were awaiting the confirmation or denial of IRNA’s reports, Tehran’s streets witnessed a different day.  

Supporters of the Islamic republic supreme leader heeded an invitation by state organs to participate in a rally, calling for the punishment of Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karubi and voicing their support for ayatollah Khamenei.  

According to reports from Rooz correspondents, the state-run television and radio aired heavy propaganda to entice people to participate in yesterdays rally.  Other government organs employed diverse means to increase the number of participants in what they called a “spontaneous” rally.  

Bunch of Sheep and Goats or Heretics?
The speaker at the rally was Mashhad’s Friday prayer leader, Ahmad Alamolhoda, who referred to ayatollah Khamenei as “the only choice for leadership on earth” and his opponents as “a bunch of sheep and goats.”  

He likened clashes between opponents and government forces to the war between the army of God and the army of Satan, saying, “Today a war between the army of God and army of Satan has erupted in this country.  This war is a definitive and clear war.”  

He then addressed the leaders of the opposition: “Based on ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks, they have the chance to repent until the time announced by the judiciary.  But if they don’t repent, they are heretics.”