Iran Guards stop Opposition leader from joining mass rally

The aim was to stop Mehdi from attending Quds (Jerusalem) Day Palestinian march

Islamist militiamen and elite Revolutionary Guards surrounded the home of Iranian Opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi today to prevent him from joining a government-sponsored rally that last year saw Opposition protests,his website said.

At the Quds (Jerusalem) Day Palestinian solidarity march in Tehran last year,supporters of Karroubi and fellow opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi staged demonstrations against hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his government.

“As of 8:00 am (0330 GMT) today,Basijis (militiamen) and Sepahi (Guards) gathered in front of Karroubi’s home,” the samahnews.org website said.

“The aim of these people is to prevent him from participating in the Quds Day rally.”

During the morning,dozens of people on motorcycles surrounded the whole neighbourhood,virtually cutting it off from the rest of the capital,the website added.

The fresh siege of Karroubi’s home came after several Basijis,some carrying guns,attacked his residential building late on Thursday for a second night in a row and seriously wounded his chief bodyguard.

“Armed Basijis attacked Mr Karroubi’s house and got inside the building after smashing down the door. The guards were obliged to fire in the air,” the opposition leader’s website said.

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“The attackers opened fire and threw Molotov cocktails at the building,” it said,adding: “Mr Karroubi’s chief bodyguard was badly beaten up and had to be taken to hospital.”

The website later reported that the bodyguard was in a coma.

“Land line connections to Mehdi Karroubi’s residential building have been cut since last night. There has been no telephone contact with him practically since then,” it added.

The website said the assault,which began shortly before midnight (1930 GMT) yesterday,only ended when special forces arrived on the scene.

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The website said on Wednesday that the militiamen had been gathering in front of Karroubi’s home since Sunday to prevent him from making any plans for today’s solidarity rally.

The militiamen only dispersed on Friday afternoon after the end of the Quds Day rally,leaving a few police cars on guard outside Karroubi’s building,a witness told AFP.

Mousavi criticised the siege of his fellow opposition leader’s home.

“With these organised actions,which began five days ago under the supervision of security and police forces,the authorities have shown that their true enemy is Karroubi and those like him,” Mousavi said in a letter posted on opposition website Rahesabz.net. “The occupation of the holy Quds and hostility towards Israel is only an excuse.”