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Iranian security agents today raided offices connected to senior reformist leader Mahdi Karroubi, arresting four aides and closing the headquarters of his political party, which had been probing abuse of protesters arrested in the country's postelection crackdown.

The raids appeared aimed at crushing a campaign spearheaded by Karroubi to bring to light alleged torture and rapes of detainees, allegations that have deeply embarrassed Iran's government and clerical leadership.

The raids also come amid increasing calls by hardline clerics and commanders in the country's revolutionary guard for the arrest of Karroubi and fellow opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and former president Mohamad Khatami. Arresting any of the three would be a major escalation in a crackdown that the opposition says aims to wipe out their movement completely.

Security agents raided the headquarters of Karroubi's National Confidence party today, arresting two party members and confiscating "documents and electronic devices containing information about the party's investigation into abuses of detained protesters in prisons", party spokesman Esmaeil Gerami Moghaddam said.

The agents then sealed the headquarters, Moghaddam said.

Security forces also ra... >>>