Arrest of 'Wildlife Butcher' in Shabestar

One of the two young men who posted images of the slaughtering of wild animals in Shabestar County, East Azerbaijan Province, has been identified and referred to court. On Friday, June 7, Tasnim News Agency reported and published images of two young men nicknamed 'Mehran Chili' and 'Mehran Vietnam' who were involved in the slaughter of wild animals. According to the news agency, these two individuals had shared images of themselves next to the dismembered or skinned carcasses of foxes and wolves, which sparked a wave of public outrage and disgust. The report stated that one month after the images were shared on social media, one of these young men was identified by the Environmental Protection Unit of East Azerbaijan and referred to the prosecutor's office. Hussein Faghih, the commander of the Environmental Protection Unit of East Azerbaijan, announced that the organization's agents, after identifying this individual, visited his residence with a prosecutor's order. Mr. Faghih stated that a number of fox and wolf tails and paws, along with an air gun and a bird trap, were discovered and seized from this person's home. This official continued that this individual 'claims to have only dismembered two wolves and attributes most of the killings of canids to his accomplice in Tehran.' One month after the images were shared on social media, one of these young men was identified by the Environmental Protection Unit of East Azerbaijan and referred to the prosecutor's office. 'Mehran R.' is the abbreviated name of one of these young men who stated in an interview with Tasnim News Agency that 'he will soon respond to all doubts in the prosecutor's office.' Another young man, nicknamed 'Mehran Vietnam,' who resides in Tehran, also stated that he was a guest of 'Mehran Chili' in Shabestar and only took 'memorial photos' with the carcasses of these animals. Public opinion in Iran has become much more sensitive to animal cruelty due to the changing lifestyle of a significant portion of the population and access to social networks. This increased attention and sensitivity, resulting from the efforts of animal rights and environmental activists in Iran, has led to a more serious involvement of the judiciary in cases related to animal cruelty. In recent years, following the rise in protests against animal cruelty, numerous reports have emerged about the cooperation of the police, the Environmental Organization, and the judiciary in dealing with animal abusers.