Brutal regime in Iran isolates Karroubi and Moussavi

NEWSTIME AFRICA, A key figure of Iran's reformist opposition, Mehdi Karroubi, vowed to continue his struggle with "determination" in a video recorded before his complete isolation and posted on Sahamnews.org "I hope that we will overcome the current problems," said the former parliamentary speaker in a video address recorded before three separate security raids on his house and the arrest of one of his sons. We must remain determined on the road of our convictions, and I am certain we will succeed, said the cleric. "We are committed to the pact we made with the people, to establish the power of the people and Islam based on elections. And on this road, no trouble, no difficulty is too hard to bear," he said. Karroubi and his wife, as well as the other pro-reform opposition leader, former premier Mir Hossein Moussavi and his wife, are living in complete isolation, their residences under surveillance and cut off from the world.

The two are under complete house arrest, according to their websites. The video, which was spirited from the house by Karroubi's wife, was recorded before security forces placed the couple under house arrest, according to Sahamnews.org. Earlier this week, officials issued strong warnings to the backers of both men, who rebelled against the Islamic regime and led demonstrations to contest the 2009 reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as fraudulent. "Whoever wants to support the sedition leaders will be looked upon as anti-revolutionary and will not be tolerated," Prosecutor General Gollam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie was quoted as saying by Fars news agency on Tuesday. The crackdown comes hot on the heels of anti-government protests in Tehran on February 14. The opposition leaders had also called for a second rally on February 19 but a major deployment of security forces foiled the effort.