Closure of Six Alcohol Production Workshops and Arrest of 10 Individuals in Kerman

The investigating judge of Branch 15 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Kerman has reported the "destruction" of six workshops producing alcoholic beverages and the arrest of 10 individuals in this regard in the city of Kerman. According to a report on Tuesday, March 2, from the Kerman Judiciary website, Alireza Mirzapour announced that more than "seven thousand liters" of homemade alcohol were discovered from the six "destroyed" workshops. Mirzapour added that the identification of these workshops and the arrest of the suspects took place over the past six months, and their case has been sent to court after the issuance of an indictment. According to him, "prison sentences, flogging, and payment of fines amounting to five times the commercial value, and in some cases confiscation of property and vehicles, await those convicted of alcohol-related crimes." The production, distribution, and consumption of alcoholic beverages are prohibited in Iran based on Islamic laws, and severe punishments are imposed on individuals who violate these laws. The punishment for consuming alcoholic beverages in Iran is 80 lashes, and after two executions of this punishment, repeated consumption can lead to execution. Despite these restrictions and punishments, reports indicate an annual consumption of about 60 million liters of alcoholic beverages in Iran. Earlier, Iranian media quoted Ali Akbar Siari, Deputy Minister of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education, stating that the annual alcohol consumption in the country is 420 million liters. There are no precise statistics on the exact amount of alcohol consumption in Iran, and various officials have repeatedly announced different figures in this regard. The consumption of non-standard and smuggled alcoholic beverages has repeatedly led to the death or loss of eyesight for several consumers in Iran. In 2013, over 350 people in various cities of Kerman province, including Rafsanjan, were poisoned due to drinking counterfeit alcoholic beverages, resulting in the death of seven individuals. In December 2014, it was reported that in just seven months leading up to that date, 53 people in Iran lost their lives due to "alcohol abuse."