Clash Between Tehran Police and Gonabadi Dervishes; 'Three Police Officers Killed'

A sit-in and gathering of Gonabadi dervishes in front of Police Station 102 in Pasdaran, protesting the arrest of one of their members, has escalated into violence and clashes with law enforcement. Simultaneously, police claim that three of their officers were killed in this confrontation. This protest took place on Tuesday, February 19, in response to the arrest of Nematollah Riahi, a 70-year-old Gonabadi dervish from Shahr-e Kord, who reportedly traveled to Tehran due to disturbances caused by Basij forces and plainclothes agents near the residence of the Gonabadi leader. Kasra Noori, a human rights activist among the Gonabadi dervishes present at the protest, told Radio Farda: 'About a hundred people attacked the Gonabadi dervishes, shooting and beating them. We are now worried about the security of the Golestan Haftom area. We are concerned about the safety of Dr. Noor Ali Tabandeh and we will stand firm to the end.' Noor Ali Tabandeh is the leader of the Gonabadi dervishes residing on Golestan Haftom Street in the Pasdaran area of Tehran. Police had previously clashed with Gonabadi dervishes on two occasions, February 23 and February 2, in the same area. The Gonabadi dervishes claimed that law enforcement intended to arrest Noor Ali Tabandeh, which they prevented. However, Iranian police denied this claim. While the Gonabadi dervishes attribute the outbreak of clashes on Tuesday to provocation by Tehran's security police, Saeed Montazerolmahdi, the police spokesperson, stated in an interview with the 20:30 news section of Iranian television that three police officers were killed in these clashes. He said: 'Unfortunately, three members of the police force were martyred in the clashes this evening on Golestan Haftom Street, and their assailants have also been arrested.' The Fars news agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that the dervishes were accused of 'creating tension' in front of Police Station 102, stating: 'However, the furious attack by one of the followers of this sect with a bus turned it into a deadly and bloody incident.' This agency added: 'The insane assault of this bus on Pasdaran Street towards the police station caused damage to 12 vehicles belonging to passing and parked citizens, as well as injuries to several pedestrians.' Fars reported moments ago, citing 'informed sources', that the driver of the bus that attacked people and police officers on Pasdaran Street was 'a person named Yavar Mohammad Thalath, a follower of the Gonabadi dervishes.' This source claimed that 'the mentioned bus belonged to one of the leaders of the Gonabadi sect and had been parked recently on the outskirts of Golestan Haftom Street in Pasdaran.' The names of the killed police officers were announced as 'Sergeant Imam and Sergeant Bayrami.' Fars stated that the third individual was a soldier but did not publish his name. The ILNA news agency also reported that 'seven members of the police force were transferred to various hospitals in Tehran due to injuries.' Kasra Noori, in an interview with Radio Farda on Tuesday night, denied the police spokesperson's claim regarding the involvement of Gonabadi dervishes in the potential killing of three police officers, stating: 'The police must answer the question of why they arrested dervishes when they committed to not arrest any. Furthermore, when you promised in front of Police Station 102 that we would release Nemat Riahi, why did you attack us?' He added: 'Regarding the so-called bus incident, I must say that the bus was parked inside Golestan Haftom and was trying to move to the other side; it seems they attacked the Gonabadi dervishes, and the bus was just following its path. If an accident occurred, it has nothing to do with the Gonabadi dervishes.' The 'Nematollahi Sultan Ali Shah Gonabadi' order, whose followers are commonly known as Gonabadi dervishes, is a Sufi order that adheres to the principles and branches of Twelver Shia Islam. However, some specific beliefs of its followers have led to severe repression by the Islamic Republic in recent years.