Iranian Reformist Moved From Jail To House Arrest
Saeed Hajjarian (right) has had serious health problems since an assassination attempt when he was shot in the head in 2000.
July 30, 2009
TEHRAN (Reuters) -- Iranian authorities have transferred prominent reformer Saeed Hajjarian to a "state-owned" house from the jail where he has been held since shortly after the disputed election last month, the semi-official Mehr news said.
"The Tehran prosecutor told me that Hajjarian was transferred today to a state-owned house with proper medical facilities.... His relatives can visit him at the new place," legislator Kazem Jalali said.
The judiciary had said Hajjarian would be released on July 29.
Analysts say "state-owned" houses belong to security-related organizations, including Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards and the Intelligence Ministry.
"Detainees who are kept in such places, are actually under tight security supervision but it does not mean they have been freed," said an analyst, who asked not to be named.
"These houses could be anywhere in the city."
Hajjarian's family have expressed concerns over his health.
Iran's top judge, Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi-Shahrudi, ordered the judiciary on July 27 to reexamine the cases of moderate detainees in a week.