Iran Focus: Tehran, Oct. 12 – From the Grapevine… Despite attempts by Iranian authorities to compel gold sellers to reopen for business after nearly a month of strikes in various cities, at least half of jewellers and gold merchants are still refusing to end their protests.
Iran Focus
Tehran, Oct. 12 – From the Grapevine…
Despite attempts by Iranian authorities to compel gold sellers to reopen for business after nearly a month of strikes in various cities, at least half of jewellers and gold merchants are still refusing to end their protests, according to eyewitness accounts.
The regime is continuing to intimidate merchants to force them to open their shops, eyewitnesses say.
Tehran’s chief prosecutor last Thursday warned that the judiciary would prosecute anyone who “disturbs public order” by closing the bazaar.
Iranian intelligence agents have since arrested the director of Tehran’s Gold and Jewellery Union and a number of retailers.
They were reportedly told to ask retailers to open their stores on Saturday, the first day of the week in Iran, and in exchange the government would sit down with guild representatives on Monday to resolve their problems.
The merchants, however, were adamant that unless their demands about scrapping government plans to introduce a 3% value-added tax on gold transactions were met, they would continue their strike.
