Businesses Continue to Face Judicial Actions; A Café-Restaurant in Kerman Closed and Its Manager Arrested

Iranian media report that the security and judicial authorities continue to crack down on businesses under the pretext of 'eating during Ramadan' and not adhering to mandatory hijab laws. In the latest incident, a café-restaurant in Kerman was closed and its manager arrested. According to ISNA news agency, the prosecutor of Kerman stated that the reason for the closure was 'failure to comply with legal regulations and religious principles.' No further details have been released regarding the name of the restaurant or the arrested manager. In another report, the website Hrana, an organization of human rights activists in Iran, announced the closure of another café-restaurant in Isfahan. According to Hrana, on Sunday, April 5, the Namakdan building in Isfahan was closed due to non-compliance with mandatory hijab laws by the Public Places Supervision Office. This closure was carried out on the orders of the authorities responsible for 'hijab and chastity.' In recent days, coinciding with the month of Ramadan and the Nowruz holidays, supervisory and security agencies have intensified their actions against various businesses, especially restaurants and food vendors. Reports indicate that in nearly two weeks of Ramadan, many businesses have been closed in various cities, including Tehran, Rey, Qom, Mashhad, Hamedan, Dezful, and Shiraz. A review of recent news indicates that the government insists on continuing 'therapeutic closures' in response to various issues, particularly in the area of mandatory hijab and ideological matters; an occurrence that analysts view as a systematic violation of people's property by the government. A judicial official in the province reported that 65 businesses were closed in 12 days in Hamedan. The pressure on businesses during Ramadan has increased; closures of food vendors have become widespread, with 15 restaurants and food vendors closed in Dezful.