US condemns continued house arrests of Iranian opposition leaders

The US reiterated Friday its condemnation of the continued house imprisonment of former presidential candidates and opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and his wife, women's rights advocate Zahra Rahnavard, calling for the "immediate" release.State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said in a statement "three years ago today, the Iranian Government put former presidential candidates and opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and his wife, women's rights advocate Zahra Rahnavard, under house arrest without formally charging them with any crimes."We join the international community in condemning their continued imprisonment and the harassment of their family members, and in calling for their immediate release," she stressed.She noted that Iran's constitution, its laws and its international obligations "guarantee its citizens minimum fair trial guarantees and provide that no one shall be subject to arbitrary arrest or detention." Harf affirmed that the US "will continue to urge the Iranian Government to respect these obligations, and we renew our call for Iran to release all prisoners of conscience in its custody."