Iran: Illegal House Arrest of Dervishes and Resistance Units Activities

Arrest of Dervishes

According to the report by Iran news wire on The Iranian Judiciary sentenced 23 prisoners who belong to the Sufi Dervish order to hefty prison terms and lashes. The dervishes have been sentenced to overall 190 years of prison, 46 years of exile, 1,776 lashes, a 46-year travel ban and a 46-year ban on involvement in social and political activities.

All the dervishes are currently detained in the Greater Tehran Prison.

The sentences are final and not subject to review.

The dervishes refused to go to court to hear their sentences in protest to the “illegal house arrest” of their religious leader, and not receiving due process. They also said they believed that the courts were “inquisition style.”

In another event, Mar. 13, 2019 became yet another day that people from all walks of life across Iran were expressing their demands in increasing protests. Many workers in different sectors of the country’s economy are protesting long delays in receiving their paycheck. All the while, regime officials and their children are enriching themselves through embezzlement and corruption.

arrest of dervishes.
Arrest of Dervishes.

Caspian Credit Fraud

Clients of the Caspian credit firm, known to be closely associated to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), rallied outside the offices of the Judiciary in Tehran on Tuesday, demanding their stolen savings returned.

caspian credit firm clients protest in tehran.
Caspian Credit Firm clients protest in Tehran. – March 12, 2019.

Resistance Unit Operations

On March 12, 2019 – Members of a resistance unit in Eslamshahr, southwest of Tehran, the country’s capital, put up posters of Maryam Rajavi, President of the Iranian opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

In Khuzestan Province, southwest Iran, a resistance unit member set fire to a poster of regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini.

Members of resistance units in Jahrom, southern Iran, set fire to a Khomeini poster while marking the upcoming annual Fire Festival, celebrated on the last Tuesday night of the Iranian calendar year. This year these festivities will be held by the Iranian people on March 19 and the mullahs’ regime has always considered this to be a threat to their rule as Iranians across the country turn these celebrations into anti-regime protests.

This resistance unit was chanting, “Death to Khamenei – Hail to Rajavi,” referring to Maryam Rajavi and Iranian Resistance leader Massoud Rajavi.

In Yazd, central Iran, resistance units in this city set fire to a Khomeini-Khamenei poster while chanting, “Hail to the National Liberation Army of Iran – Hail to Rajavi – Death to Khamenei.”

A resistance unit in Bojnurd, northeast Iran, set fire to Khomeini poster while chanting, “We answer fire with fire.”

Members of resistance units in the city of Maymand of Fars Province, south-central Iran, took to graffiti and wrote, “Death to Khamenei – Hail to Rajavi.”

In the cities of Fasa and Kermanshah, members of resistance units took to graffiti and also wrote, “Death to Khamenei – Hail to Rajavi.” In Kermanshah, resistance units were also seen putting up signs reading, “We answer fire with fire.”

In Bushehr, southern Iran, resistance unit members put up various signs reading, “Death to the mullahs’ principle – Death to the dictator – We answer fire with fire.”

Members of resistance units in Qom, central Iran, put up various signs commemorating the annual Fire Festivities and reading, “We answer fists with fists and fire with fire – Hail to Rajavi – Death to Khamenei.”

In Sanandaj, western Iran, members of resistance unit put up posters reading, “The world should know that Massoud Rajavi is our leader.”

Members of resistance units in Yasuj, southern Iran, took to graffiti and wrote “Hail to Rajavi” in various parts of the country.

In Shiraz, south-central Iran, members of resistance units distributed copies of a statement issued by the PMOI/MEK Social Department inside Iran for more protests across the country marking the annual Fire Festival.

Also in Shiraz, members of resistance unit set fire to images of senior figures of the mullahs’ regime while chanting “We answer fire with fire.”

Hassan Mahmoudi is a human rights advocate and Social Media journalist seeking democracy for Iran and peace for the region.