Continued Crackdown on Civil Liberties in Iran; 15 Girls and Boys Arrested for Attending ‘Night Party’ in Qeshm
In continuation of security confrontations with mixed-gender gatherings in Iran and in line with the suppression of civil liberties, this time the police commander of Qeshm has announced the arrest of 15 girls and boys for attending a party at one of the city’s recreational centers.
Tasnim News Agency reported on Sunday, October 27, citing Hossein Elahi, the police commander of Qeshm, that in the past few days, 15 girls and boys were arrested for what he claimed was “creating social abnormalities” based on a “court order.”
The police official stated that these young people were present “in an inappropriate condition” at the recreational complex. However, hours earlier, this news agency had reported, citing the commander of the Qeshm Basij Resistance Zone, that 15 people arrested “for attempting to hold a night party at one of the residential and beach recreational centers in Qeshm city were arrested and detained based on a court order.” This report was later removed from the news agency’s output.
Holding gatherings with the presence of girls and boys, mainly consisting of family members and friends and acquaintances, is common in many places in Iran; however, religious and security authorities consider it a crime and arrest those present upon notification.
The U.S. State Department has repeatedly condemned the violent actions of the Islamic Republic regime against the Iranian people under various pretexts, including dealing with various civil liberties such as freedom of assembly and freedom of choice in dress, as well as the repeated and ongoing violation of Iranian citizens’ rights by regime agents.
Source: Voice of America
