Arrest of 120 People at a Night Party in East Tehran

Reports indicate that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the police have arrested 121 individuals at a night party in Pardis, east of Tehran. According to the Mehr News Agency, Haidar Fattahi, the public prosecutor of Pardis, stated on Wednesday, March 16, that: "Through the follow-ups and surveillance of the IRGC and the police in east Tehran, during an operation coordinated with the judiciary, a number of young people were arrested in a mixed gathering at a location that had become a place of amusement for some deceived youths." The public prosecutor added: "I thank the IRGC and the police for their monitoring efforts in combating cultural infiltration; this was the largest party in eastern Tehran this year, with 121 attendees who not only engaged in dancing but also consumed alcohol." Haidar Fattahi also mentioned: "These crimes are part of cultural infiltration crimes, where young people, who have no relation to the opposite sex, engage in such activities late into the night in known locations, disturbing the residents of that area." According to Mizan, the public prosecutor of Pardis added: "The invitees were summoned to this party via social media, and about 20 liters of alcoholic beverages were discovered and confiscated from the location. Haidar Fattahi considered the holding of such 'night parties' as 'cultural invasion and infiltration by the enemy through social media.' In recent months, police commanders in several provinces of Iran have reported multiple inspections of gardens and venues where they claim mixed celebrations might be held. Additionally, reports of the arrest of citizens in various provinces for participating in 'mixed parties' have increased. In June of this year, the implementation of lash sentences for 35 students due to their participation in a 'mixed night party' in Qazvin faced significant protests and criticism in Iran; however, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesman for the judiciary, deemed the implementation of this sentence as 'legal' and stated that the judiciary has 'evidence and indications' that the 'parties' held in several provinces were 'guided by a specific current.' The judiciary has yet to publish information regarding these 'evidences and indications.' In this context, the police in Tehran attacked a 'special' women's party and arrested guests, with 44 individuals arrested at a party in Mashhad and '40 single girls and boys' arrested at a party in Urmia. A new wave of arrests in mixed parties in Iran continues.