Iran Focus
24 Jul – Authorities in Iran have arrested at least 50 young men and women who attended a mixed-gender party.
“Families must be more vigilant regarding their children to make sure they do not end up in such circumstances”, says Mojtaba Vahedi, the head of the judiciary in Damavand, east of Tehran.
A report on Friday, July 22, by the state-run Tasnim news agency said more than 50 young men and women were arrested at a party that was organized via social networking.
Security forces monitoring social media obtained a warrant after ‘carrying out the necessary investigations’, and judicial files have been opened against those arrested at the party, Tasnim quoted Vahedi as saying.
In his comments about the arrests, Shahin Gobadi of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) had this to say, “The clerical regime has never been so isolated at home and loathed by the Iranian people, in particular by the youth and women. As such, it is resorting to more and more repressive measures to confront this growing trend. This once again proves that the notion of moderation under Hassan Rouhani is a total myth. But it also indicates the vulnerable and shaky state of a regime that cannot even tolerate private festivities of the people, particularly the youth. It is becoming more evident that the mullahs are totally paranoid of any social gathering in fear of a popular uprising.”
Some 35 young people who took part in a mixed-gender party were flogged in May. They were celebrating in a graduation ceremony near Qazvin city, some 140 kilometers northwest of Tehran.
Ismaeil Sadeqi Niaraki, the Prosecutor in Qazvin, said, “After we received information that a large number of men and women were mingling in a villa in the suburbs of Qazvin … all the participants at the party were arrested.”
The following morning, every one of the young celebrants received 99 lashes as punishment by the so-called ‘Morality Police.’
According to Niaraki, “this once again required a firm response by the judiciary in quickly reviewing and implementing the law.” He added “Thank God that the police questioning, investigation, court hearing, verdict and implementation of the punishment all took place in less than 24 hours.”
The actions of “law-breakers who use excuses such as freedom and having fun in birthday parties and graduation ceremonies,” will not be tolerated by the regime, he said.
