Hundreds arrested in crackdown in northeast Iran

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jan. 02 – Iran’s State Security Forces (SSF) have arrested hundreds of individuals in the north-eastern province of Khorrasan Razavi as part of a crackdown
of “trouble-makers”, Fars news agency, which is close to the Office of the Supreme Leader, reported. Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Jan. 02 – Iran’s State Security Forces (SSF) have arrested hundreds of individuals in the north-eastern province of Khorrasan Razavi as part of a crackdown of “trouble-makers”, Fars news agency, which is close to the Office of the Supreme Leader, reported.

Agents of the SSF and VEVAK, Iran’s notorious secret police, arrested 770 individuals as part of the second phase of the “Plan to Combat Trouble-makers”, code-named “Zafar 2”, meaning victory.

Close to 300 of those arrested are to be formally tried in special Islamic courts set up to deal with the “trouble-makers”.

The “Plan to Combat Trouble-makers” was initially launched in Tehran in September and soon spread to cities and towns across the nation. Under the scheme, thousands were arrested within a period of several months on various charges such as “racketeering” and “loansharking”.

Iranian officials often refer to millions of unemployed young men, who are largely beset by frustration and despair, as “trouble-makers”.