Arrest of 500 Individuals in Shiraz on Charges of 'Eating in Public During Ramadan'

A judicial official in Shiraz announced the arrest of 500 individuals in the city on charges of 'eating in public during Ramadan,' while over 2,500 Shiraz citizens received verbal warnings during the month. The Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) published statements from the Deputy Prosecutor General of Shiraz on Tuesday, July 9, indicating that members of the Basij and law enforcement have 'dealt with 500 offenders' as part of a campaign against 'norm-breaking and eating in public during Ramadan.' According to him, judicial authorities in Shiraz have issued a decision to drop charges against 20 of these individuals, while the remaining detainees have been 'sentenced to a ruling within 24 hours.' The report does not mention the judicial sentences of the detainees, but Shiraz witnessed the flogging of at least two individuals last year for 'eating in public during Ramadan.' Similar sentences were executed in other cities in Iran last year, including Qazvin, where it was reported that 200 individuals were flogged for 'eating in public.' Since the beginning of Ramadan this year, which has lasted 13 days, numerous reports have emerged regarding the arrest of Iranian citizens on such charges, including the arrest of 92 'young men and women' in Tabriz. The Deputy Prosecutor General of Shiraz also stated that since the initiation of the 'campaign against norm-breaking and eating in public during Ramadan' on June 18, the Basij forces in the city have issued verbal warnings to 2,699 individuals and written warnings to 261 others. They have also sealed two locations and confiscated two vehicles on the same charges. Previously, with the onset of Ramadan in Iran, some judicial officials had announced the establishment of special branches for 'eating in public' cases. However, the Islamic Penal Code does not specify punishments for eating in public during Ramadan, but reports indicate that judges refer to a section of the Islamic Penal Code stating that 'anyone who publicly displays a forbidden act in public places and streets shall be sentenced to imprisonment from 10 days to two months or up to 74 lashes.' In this context, the Deputy Police Chief of East Azerbaijan reported the arrest of 92 young people on charges of eating in public.