Arrest of 28 Travelers in Savadkuh County on Charges of 'Satanism'

The police chief of Savadkuh County in Mazandaran Province announced the arrest of 28 travelers on charges of what he termed 'Satanism.' On Friday, June 1, Saeed Mahdavi claimed that 'members of a Satanic network,' consisting of 20 men and eight women, were identified and arrested in a joint operation by the intelligence police and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Mazandaran Province. This police official alleged that the detainees exhibited 'specific signs and symbols of Satanism,' and were carrying alcoholic beverages and drugs while traveling from other provinces to Savadkuh as part of a tour. About two weeks prior, the Islamic Republic's police reported the arrest of 261 individuals, including three European citizens, in Shahriar County, Tehran Province, on similar charges. The public relations office of the Islamic Republic's police, Faraja, announced that 146 men and 115 women were arrested on the evening of Thursday, May 17, during a 'Satanic gathering.' Last summer, Faraja's intelligence organization stated that they arrested 11 individuals in two gardens around Karaj for allegedly holding 'Satanic ceremonies.' Iranian officials have not provided a clear definition of the charge of 'Satanism,' and in recent years, some heavy metal musicians have been punished for 'promoting Satanism.' Over the past four decades, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly violated civil rights and social freedoms of citizens under various pretexts, often imprisoning them on charges that have not been fairly examined in courts. The police arrested dozens of Iranian citizens and 'three Europeans' under the pretext of 'Satanism.' Two members of a heavy metal band in Iran were sentenced to prison and flogging. Eight individuals were arrested on charges of 'Satanism' in Iran. A 'tattoo gang' was apprehended; Tehran police stated that tattooing is an offense.