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Iran: At least 900 arrested or flogged for not fasting in Ramadan

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The Iranian regime’s repressive forces have arrested and flogged at least 900 in the cities of Shiraz, Tabriz, Hamadan and Ilam alone, according to the reports published in state-run media in Iran.

Deputy Prosecutor in the city of Shiraz, Ali Keshavarz, confirmed that 500 have been arrested in Shiraz for not fasting. Of these 500, verdicts were issued for 480 cases within 24 hours. Most sentences were lashing and they were carried out by the henchmen from “Implementation of Verdicts Unit”. Many of the sentences, particularly against the youth, were carried out in public. Moreover, close to 3000 received “verbal or written warnings” and were subjected to street interrogations or persecution by the oppressive Basij forces.

According to this official, in Shiraz alone, “20 government and non-government organs” and 248 patrol teams carry out this oppressive scheme under the pretext of “fighting non-observance of fasting”.

Also, according to the commander of the security forces of Hamadan Rassoul Moradi, 100 were arrested by the Basij Force for not fasting. His deputy stated that 700 groups from the Basij or suppressive forces of the regime “have been formed in Hamadan to promote virtue and prevent vice to fight those who do not observe fasting in public”.

On June 22, ninety-two boys and girls were arrested in Shahriar International Hotel of Tabriz on similar charges. Many of the arrestees were travelers that based on Islamic regulations were not in a condition to fast.
In the first week of Ramadan in Ilam alone, security forces arrested 200 and within a day barbaric decrees to flog them were issued.

Qazvin’s Prosecutor Esmail Sadeqi Niaraki stated on June 23: “Those who do not observe fasting not only receive their sentences on the day of their arrest, but their sentences are carried out as well. May these measures please… the supreme leader.”

The unparalleled ratcheting up of suppression in the society on the pretext of not fasting shows the fear of the religious fascism ruling Iran of uprisings by a people that the great majority of them are unable to support the most rudimentary needs of their livelihood and that of their families particularly as various internal and external crises, especially the nuclear talks impasse, increasingly tighten the noose around regime’s neck.

Mullah Sediqi who is close to Khamenei expressed concern in the Friday prayer show of June 26 regarding the outcome of the nuclear talks and said: “The fate of the country is hanging on this. This is a perilous and critical turn in the history.”

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
July 2, 2015