After winning a second term in office, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is receiving more reformist pressure than ever on lifting the house arrest off reformist leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir-Hossein Mousavi.
Reformist allies are linking support for Rouhani with the freeing of Karroubi and Mousavi.
Karroubi’s wife, Fatima, renewed harsh criticism against the Iranian president's performance in recent days, and accused him of abandoning his presidential elections promises and lacking transparency.
She said Rouhani did not work on upholding the oath he made in the 2013 election campaign. She also criticized him for failing to fulfill a number of promises in various economic, cultural and political fields, although years have passed since he first campaigned.
“The government should be aware that only three years have passed since Rouhani took office, but many promises in the field of economy, culture and politics have not been kept, and there seems to be no government will to carry out promises and confront lawbreakers," she said in a subtle warning to Rouhani.
“Failure to honor promises is the cause of people's frustration.”
Eight years ago, Iranian security forces imposed house arrest on both Mousavi and Karroubi. This came after they called for the renewal of popular demonstrations in support of the Arab spring revolutions in a number of Arab countries.
Over the past years, there has been intense debate over who is behind the house arrest.
Mousavi and Karroubi have not been prosecuted, but official sources say the house arrest decision has come directly from Iran's National Security Council. Rouhani's government denies it.
But Karroubi's wife argued that “the decision of the National Security Council to impose house arrest is unlawful” and pointed out that Rouhani did not meet the demands of the people and the families of those detained.
According to reports on Iranian websites, such as "Saham News,” Karroubi directed criticisms to Rouhani during a meeting with a number of former MPs, and considered the house arrest "to go against the Iranian Constitution and in violation of the law.”
The lawmakers warned of a widening rift between the Iranians and the ruling regime because of the continued house arrest of reformists.
