Arrest of Two Individuals Involved in the Destruction of the Statue of Sardar Asad

The director general of cultural heritage in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province announced the arrest of two individuals involved in the destruction of the statue of Sardar Asad Bakhtiari in the city of Junqan. The Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council also stated that local authorities are responsible for following up on this matter. According to reports, on Saturday, May 25, individuals attacked the statue of Sardar Asad Bakhtiari with axes at a castle of the same name in Junqan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari. The castle of Sardar Asad Bakhtiari in Junqan is a remnant from the Qajar era that was registered as a national historical monument in 1977. Some social media users shared a video of the attack, claiming that Hossein Mozani, the Friday prayer leader of Junqan, had protested the installation of the statue a day before the incident. Following the reports, Mr. Mozani declared that attributing these statements to him was 'absolute falsehood and slander.' However, on Sunday, Bahman Asgari Savadjani, the director general of cultural heritage in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, reported that two suspects in the destruction of the statue had been arrested and handed over to judicial authorities. He promised that the statue would be restored and installed inside the castle by the end of the week. The destruction of the statue of Sardar Asad Bakhtiari also prompted a reaction from Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, who protested the incident and requested the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council to urgently investigate and follow up on the 'assault on ethnic and historical symbols.' However, a day after the reports were published, the Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council announced that such matters 'lack strategic indicators' and are outside the scope of national security issues, with handling them falling 'within the responsibilities of local law enforcement agencies.' The destruction of the statue occurred while in 2013, Bakhtiari citizens in various cities of Iran, including Isfahan, Dezful, Andimeshk, Izeh, Shahrekord, and Aligudarz, protested against the airing of the series 'Zamin-e Kohan,' which they claimed insulted the Bakhtiari tribe and Sardar Asad Bakhtiari, ultimately leading to the series being stopped. Ali Qoli Khan Bakhtiari, known as Sardar Asad, lived between 1857 and 1917 and was a political figure during the Qajar era and a leader of the Bakhtiari tribe. His major fame comes from his role in the political landscape of Tehran during the period known as the 'Minor Tyranny' and the 'revival of the Constitutional Movement.'