Mousavi House Arrest Enters More Severe State

This report from Mousavi's Facebook:

According to reports by a number of employees of the Office of the President and patients and physicians at Shahid Hospital located near Akhtar street [the street where Mousavi's residence is also located] "Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard's residence is being converted into a prison as agents proceed to install what looks like an iron barrier at the entrance of their residence."

In a phone conversation with Kaleme, a number of noble workers of the Office of the President reported on [government] agents busily working on the creation of a long, iron barrier at the entrance to Mousavi's residence. It looks as though the events occurring in and around Mousavi's residence are reminiscent of Ahmand Jannati's comments during one of the recent Friday prayers in Tehran when he demanded that the "residences of the leaders of the sedition be converted into prisons."

In the recent months the restrictions designed to further limit Mousavi and Rahnavard's communication with the outside world have slowly increased. The restrictions on Mir Hossein Mousavi increased in late summer this year when the attacks on Mehdi Karroubi's residence and the offices of the Marajeh [Grand Ayatollahs] first occurred, culminating with the mistreatment of journalists and other well known personalities attempting to visit his residence.

The restrictions on Mousavi and Rahnavard entered a new phase six months ago, when a security van was parked outside Mousavi's offices on the corner of Ferdowsi and North Kargar street in Tehran, preventing various groups and well known personalities from entering his office. At times even a number of Marajeh [Grand Ayatollahs] were arrested temporarily and released after a few hours of street interrogations. Some were taken to the police station and released after providing written commitments that they would no longer attempt to visit with Mousavi.

Mir Hossein Mousavi and Dr. Zahra Rahnavard's house arrest formally began after the February 14th, 2011 demonstrations [in support of the people of Egypt and Tunisia]. As of February 16th, Mousavi and Rahnavard have been incommunicado and there is no news what so ever on their condition and well being. In addition, Mousavi's bodyguards have been dismissed and replaced with security agents.

Mousavi and Rahnavard's relatives have been left in the dark with regards to their condition in recent days and the agents posted around their residence have prevented people from approaching their house. It is worth mentioning that all communication with Mousavi and Rahnavard including telephone and internet contact has been cut off. With the installation of an iron barrier outside their residence, their house arrest has now entered a new phase and the intentions of judicial and security officials with regards to Mousavi and Rahnavard remain unclear.