Iran: Funeral Of Elder Mousavi Interrupted By Security Forces
Funeral of MirEsmail Mousavi, father of Iranian opposition leader MirHosein Mousavi was interrupted by security forces and at least seven people were arrested.
Kaleme website reports that a large crowd had gathered at the home of MirEsmail Mousavi for his funeral. MirEsmail Mousavi passed away at the age of 103 yesterday at his home.
According to the opposition website, a large number of security forces and plainclothes pro-government agents were also at the site.
The crowd reportedly carried the body through the streets but after some time at 15 Khordad Street the government forces forced the body into an ambulance and carried it away.
People’s protests were responded with beatings and threats and led to the arrest of seven people.
Ali Shakourirad, former lawmaker and member of reform party Islamic Iran Participation Front, Hojjatoleslam Norolelahian, a reformist cleric, as well as MirHosein Mousavi’s brother-in-law and son-in-law are amongst the detainees.
Ali Shakourirad was released some hours later but the rest still remain in custody.
Eyewitnesses also report the arrest a young woman at the scene.
According to other reports a commemoration ceremony scheduled for Sunday has been cancelled by the authorities. Several political prisoners, who had been given a furlough for Norooz, Iranian New Year, have also been called to report back to prison ahead of time, according to the opposition website.
MirEsmail Mousavi is a cousin of Seyed Javad Khamenei, father of the current Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.
Kaleme has also indicated that Ayatollah Khamenei took shelter for some time before the 1979 Revolution at the very home MirEsmail Mousavi passed away.
MirHosein Mousavi visited his father every week before the opposition leader was put under house arrest.
Kaleme reports that MirHosein Mousavi and his wife were allowed to visit his father’s body last night. According to Kaleme, Mousavi invited his family to exercise patience despite the “harsh and inappropriate” behaviour of the officials at the scene.
MirHosein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard have been under complete house arrest since the opposition leaders called for an opposition rally in support of the recent Arab uprisings on February 14.
The demonstrations led to the death of two protesters, tens of injuries and close to a thousand arrests.
The other opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi and his wife Fatemeh Karroubi have also been put under house arrest since.
