40 Young Men and Women Arrested at a 'Night Party' in Ziarat Village, Golestan

Mustafa Haqi, the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Golestan, announced on Wednesday, September 3, that 40 young men and women were arrested at a 'night party' in Ziarat village, south of Nahar Khoran in Golestan. The prosecutor stated that the charges against these individuals were 'drinking alcohol' and 'illicit relationships.' According to the state-affiliated news agency 'Mizan,' Mr. Haqi stated: 'The implementation of a plan to confront social anomalies and instances of improper hijab is on the prosecutor's agenda, and the judiciary will decisively address these cases.' Ziarat village is located seven kilometers south of Nahar Khoran in Golestan province and is considered one of the tourist attractions of the region. Over the past three months, law enforcement officers have arrested hundreds of young men and women during parties in various cities across Iran. Provinces such as Tehran, Fars, Mazandaran, East Azerbaijan, Hormozgan, and Kerman have seen significant arrests of young men and women at night parties and celebrations in recent months. In the latest case, Ali Talebi, the prosecutor of Amol County, reported on August 30 the arrest of 20 young men and women at a 'night party' in Amol, stating that they were handed over to judicial authorities after filing a case. Previously, Youssef Malekzadeh, the commander of the police in Shiraz, reported on August 29 the arrest of 63 'semi-naked' young men and women at two 'night parties' in the northeastern part of the city. The Fars news agency also reported on August 26 the arrest of 60 young men and women at a 'night party' in a roadside teahouse in the Sarakhsar forest park in Tehran by Basij forces. Additionally, 20 young men and women were arrested in mid-August in a villa in the tourist-recreational area of 'Amend' in East Azerbaijan province. Another 150 young men and women were arrested in early August in one of the gardens in the restricted area of Islamshahr in southern Tehran, where the police chief, Mohsen Khancherli, accused them of 'attempting to make a clip for satellite channels.' Mojtaba Mohammadi, the head of the judiciary in Damavand, also announced on August 1 that law enforcement officers arrested over 50 young men and women at a 'night party' in the city of Ab-Sard after 'monitoring social media' and learning about a celebration. In June, Iranian judicial authorities reported the arrest of 62 individuals at a 'mixed night celebration' in Bandar Abbas, 23 individuals at a private party in Kerman, and 70 others at a party in the Farahzad area of Tehran. Arrests at parties have continued for about 38 years since the Islamic Revolution, and in some cases, penalties such as fines or lashes have been issued to the arrested individuals. Iranian judicial authorities often cite the charges against these individuals as 'participating in mixed parties, consuming alcoholic beverages, and engaging in illicit relationships.' Last June, the implementation of lash sentences for 35 students due to their participation in a 'mixed night party' in Qazvin faced widespread protests and criticism. Officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran refer to 'mixed night parties' as one of the 'social harms' and instances of 'cultural invasion.'