Arrest of 'dozens' of Iranian pilgrims without visas in Iraq

A few days after the head of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization reported the arrest of 'about 300 Iranians' in Iraq for lacking visas, an official from this organization announced the arrest of 'several groups of 10 to 20 individuals' of Iranians who traveled to Iraq for the Arbaeen ceremony without visas. According to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), Mostafa Qasemi, the representative of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization in Iraq, stated on Tuesday, December 1, that he did not disclose the exact number of detainees but mentioned that 'the number is not significant.' Saeed Ohadi, the head of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, had previously reported on December 6 that 200 to 300 Iranians who traveled to Iraq for the Arbaeen ceremony without visas had been arrested and returned to Iran. Meanwhile, according to Ali Najat Soleimani, the political director of Ilam province, 200 Afghan citizens who attempted to cross the Mehran border into Iraq without visas were also turned back. In recent weeks, officials from Iran's Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have repeatedly warned Iranian pilgrims about illegal travel to Iraq. Additionally, according to Mehr News Agency, Hassan Qashqavi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, stated on Thursday, December 5, that 'entering Iraq without a visa can lead to up to six years in prison.' However, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced on December 9 that tens of thousands of Iranian pilgrims had crossed the border without visas, injuring border guards and breaching barriers. On the same day, Hossein Zolfaqari, Iran's Deputy Minister of Interior for Security, announced that routes leading to the Iran-Iraq border in Mehran had been blocked due to 'disorders' caused by visa-less pilgrims. Zolfaqari had previously mentioned the establishment of 'various layers of intelligence and security' for the safety of Arbaeen pilgrims by the Iraqi government with the assistance of Iranian 'advisors.' Meanwhile, the representative of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization in Iraq stated that there had been 'no security problems' for Arbaeen pilgrims so far. In this context, ISNA reported on Tuesday, citing the news outlet 'Al-Ahd,' that three suicide attacks against Arbaeen pilgrims had been thwarted in the past two days. According to this report, Saad Ma'an, spokesman for Baghdad Operations Command, announced that security forces in southern Baghdad arrested an individual who intended to target Arbaeen pilgrims on their way to Karbala with a suicide belt. Previously, two suicide operations around Baghdad had also been thwarted. On Friday, December 21, 1393, coinciding with the Shiite pilgrimage for the Arbaeen ceremony in Iraq, six mortar explosions in Karbala resulted in the death of 'one person' and injuries to 'four others.' None of the casualties were Iranian. Iranian government officials have predicted that this year more than two million Iranians will travel to Iraq for the Arbaeen ceremony. Reports indicate that last year, 17 to 20 million Shiite pilgrims traveled to Iraq for this event. The Arbaeen ceremony commemorates the fortieth day after the martyrdom of the third Imam of the Shiites in the desert of Karbala and is one of the largest Islamic religious gatherings for Shiites.