In June,2009 under virtual house arrest. revolution, the street. Iranians went to the polls to vote on their next president.

VOA: standard.2010.06.11

under virtual house arrest. All of their communication is being monitored.

VOA: standard.2010.06.11

Mr.Mousavi remains under a virtual house-arrest and has been prevented from using either government TV or the local press to speak to the Iranian people.

VOA: standard.2009.10.19

At politically sensitive times, she and her husband, Wang Lixiong, himself a Tibetologist and outspoken dissident, are sometimes kept under virtual house arrest.

ECONOMIST: A Tibetan blogger dares to challenge the party line

He was released in September 2010 but was kept under virtual house arrest by plainclothes thugs who he says beat him and his wife if they tried to leave.

WSJ: Deal Sought for Chinese Activist to Study in U.S.

That puts Gadhafi in "a bizarre situation, " Kaufman says: He is "under virtual house arrest and not free to gallivant around the city" that he wants to leave for his safety.

CNN: Gadhafi's son seeks travel ban waiver, lawyer says