( CNN ) -- Iranian opposition leaders Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karrubi and their wives were placed in a `` safe house '' for their own welfare , but they have not been arrested , Iranian government sources told CNN Saturday . `` The opposition movement is very much looking for martyrs so if this is true it 's for their own safety , '' one source told CNN . The pro-reform opposition movement `` is always looking for an excuse to create something , so this may be done to keep someone from doing something to them , '' the source added . But the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran expressed concern for the safety of the leaders and their wives . `` Moussavi and Karrubi and their wives have been disappeared ; they are being held incommunicado in an unknown location , a severe breach of Iranian and international law , '' Aaron Rhodes , a spokesman for the campaign , said in a statement . `` Given the lynch mob-like calls for their execution by numerous Iranian politicians and clerics , there is reason to be deeply concerned for their safety and well-being , '' Rhodes said . State-run Press TV aired video of Iranian lawmakers earlier this month chanting , `` Moussavi , Karrubi ... execute them . '' The human rights organization also pointed out that `` a 'safe house ' is considered a place for the secret detention of high security-value detainees , which is not under the control of the judiciary or any other monitoring mechanisms . The Revolutionary Guards and Iranian intelligence agencies are well-known for using safe houses for all methods and techniques to get confessions from detainees without scrutiny or pressure from other legal bodies . '' `` Given the use of so-called safe houses to mistreat opponents of the government in the past , the campaign finds it deeply disturbing that Moussavi and Karrubi have reportedly been removed to such a facility , '' the statement said . Iranian authorities began rounding up many government opponents this month amid calls for protests like those that have swept across North Africa and the Middle East . Iranian leaders have praised the revolution that overthrew Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak , but when protesters in Iran took to the streets of Tehran on February 14 , the government cracked down hard . The Iranian government rounded up activists ahead of the protests after Karrubi and Moussavi called for supporters to gather at Azadi Square -- the site of mass protests by Iran 's opposition movement after the disputed 2009 presidential elections . Despite the security crackdown , tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in Tehran . Dozens of demonstrators were detained during those protests , while videos posted on YouTube showed others had been chased and beaten . One person was shot and killed during the protests , according to Iran 's semiofficial Fars news agency . Several others were injured and listed in serious condition as a result of the shooting , which the Iranian government blamed on `` agitators and seditionists . '' The Iranian government source claimed Saturday that Iranians are disturbed by the opposition 's demonstrations . `` The people are not happy with these protests and these people ( Moussavi and Karrubi ) making announcements for more protests . The people believe their peace is being disrupted and they want these protests to stop , '' the source said . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday accused Iran of a repressive crackdown on protesters and political opponents in the past 10 days , including the killing of peaceful demonstrators by security forces . International journalists have been limited in their ability to gather news in Iran , where the government has cracked down on the media and maintains tight control of state-run news organizations . During the protests earlier this month , foreign journalists were denied visas , accredited journalists living in the country were restricted from covering the demonstrations , and internet speed slowed to a crawl in an apparent attempt to restrict information from being transmitted out of the country .
Iranian government sources say the `` safe house '' is for the leaders ' welfare . The Iranians have been trying to get rid of him since he was elected president in 2013, but they are not sure if it will work this time. A human rights group is alarmed , saying the move violates international law .