Hasty Issuance of Imam Ali Society Dissolution Decree Shows Clear Interference of Security Institutions in the Case
Thursday, March 5, 2021 – Following the court hearing on the petition to dissolve the Imam Ali Society, an initial ruling was issued for the dissolution of Iran’s largest non-governmental organization. In the first days of the current month, the Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Republic of Iran submitted a petition requesting the dissolution of the “Imam Ali Society”.
The issuance of the dissolution decree for the Imam Ali Society, as the largest independent civil institution and the only Iranian NGO holding general consultative status at the United Nations, demonstrates the interference of government authorities in the activities of independent institutions and civil society organizations in Iran.
The issuance of the dissolution decree for the Imam Ali Society, months after the arrest and subsequent release of the founder and some managers of this civil institution on heavy bail conditions, is further evidence of the continuation of strict security pressures on this non-governmental organization.
Hadi Ghayemi, director of the Human Rights Campaign in Iran, said: “The dissolution decree for the Imam Ali Society is a continuation of a very concerning and systematic government policy that implements the thinking of security institutions. This policy aims to eliminate independent and effective organizations from the heart of society by creating parallel organizations under its own control.”
He also stated: “At a time when Iranian society is facing acute social and economic crises, there is an urgent need for the existence of independent civil society organizations like the Imam Ali Society, and their elimination is a historical mistake by the government that will only exacerbate these crises. Mr. Rouhani gained the people’s vote by emphasizing respect for civil rights, but now his government, along with security institutions, is undermining the very roots of civil society.”
The Human Rights Campaign in Iran, while condemning the issued dissolution decree for the Imam Ali Society, calls on Iran’s authorities to stop the process of case-building against civil and non-governmental organizations and to create the necessary conditions for their activities. Previously, Zahra Rahimi, CEO of the Imam Ali Society, announced that the Ministry of Interior had requested the organization to change its bylaws from a “Board of Trustees” structure to a “General Assembly” structure, and that failure to make this structural change would result in the Ministry of Interior submitting a petition for the dissolution of the Imam Ali Society.
Earlier, on July 22, 2020, Sharmeen Meymandi-nejad, Morteza Keymanesh, and Katayoun Afrouz, three senior members of the Imam Ali Society, were arrested based on complaints filed by the Tharallah Base of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. At that time, the Imam Ali Society announced in a statement that the arrests were made based on complaints from the “Tharallah Base of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,” with charges against Sharmeen Meymandi-nejad, Chairman of the Imam Ali Society, of “insulting the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the founder of the Islamic Republic,” and charges against the other two individuals of “actions against national security.” Mr. Keymanesh and Ms. Afrouz were released on bail after some time; however, Sharmeen Meymandi-nejad, the Chairman of the Imam Ali Society, remained in detention for 129 days. At that time, the Tasnim News Agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, reported briefly that an individual named “S.M” had, in recent years, established a “charitable foundation” and, under the guise of “public benefit activities such as fighting discrimination and poverty” as well as “human rights discussions and social problems,” engaged in “networking to infiltrate various levels of public opinion.”
Islamic Republic authorities have used various tactics in recent years to disrupt the activities of established civil society organizations. One of the most common procedures is the creation of apparently independent parallel organizations alongside civil and grassroots institutions like the Imam Ali Society. Government executive authorities have in recent years launched the “Imam Reza Society” as a parallel institution to the Imam Ali Society. An organization managed by Mohammad Hasan Yekta, former commander of the Baqiyatallah the Great Cultural-Social Base of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and former colleague of the current head of Iran’s judiciary, Ebrahim Raisi, at the Astan Quds Razavi.
Previously, the practice of creating parallel institutions has been observed among judicial authorities; following the establishment of the “Legal Consultants Center” in the judiciary as a parallel institution to the independent “Bar Association.” However, the precedent and international credibility of these civil institutions in Iran is the main distinguishing feature between these parallel organizations, which government executive and decision-making authorities are attempting to legitimize.
The Imam Ali Student Aid Society is a civil non-governmental organization that began its activities in 1999. The Imam Ali Society is the largest independent civil institution in Iran and is the only Iranian NGO that in 2010, by registering consultative status with the United Nations and membership in the Economic and Social Affairs Council, was introduced as one of the active organizations in reducing social problems at the international level.
Source: Human Rights Campaign Iran
