Concerns Raised by Dozens of Political and Civil Activists Regarding the Situation of Detained Gonabadi Dervishes

Eighty-seven political and civil activists residing in Iran expressed their concerns in a statement about the "unfortunate news" regarding the health status and "type of detention" of the detained Gonabadi dervishes. They emphasized that the statements made by officials of the Islamic Republic regarding the "immediate trial" of the detainees have "called into question the impartiality of their court." The authors of this statement, published on Saturday, March 3, on several websites including Kalemeh, called for a fair trial for the detainees in accordance with the criminal procedure and the international human rights obligations of the Islamic Republic. These political and civil activists stressed that the published news about the "immediate and expedited trial" of the detained dervishes has "preemptively undermined the principle of independence and impartiality of the court." The statement indicated that "the release of the detained dervishes on bail will strengthen hopes for a fair trial, especially since no justifiable reason has been provided for the continued temporary detention of many of them." In recent days, judicial officials have emphasized the need for "swift and expedited punishment" for the detained Gonabadi dervishes involved in the clashes on Pasdaran Street. In this context, Hossein Rahimi, the commander of the Tehran police, announced that the driver of the bus, who allegedly ran over three police officers, causing their deaths, would be executed before the end of the year 1396 (March 2018). The emphasis of these Islamic Republic officials on punishing the detained Gonabadi dervishes comes amid a violent crackdown on a protest by the Gonabadi dervishes around the house of Nour Ali Tabandeh, the leader of this order, on Monday, February 19. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Defenders Center, chaired by Shirin Ebadi, reported in its February report on human rights violations in Iran that "the presence and intervention of Basij forces at the scene of incidents is the source of many unfortunate events in street protests." Additionally, these 87 political and civil activists stated that some videos released showing the manner of arrest of the Gonabadi dervishes and the presence of plainclothes forces alongside some police officers "undoubtedly indicate a violation of the legal and fundamental rights of these detainees." The statement emphasized that "unfortunate news regarding the health status and type of detention" of the detained dervishes has caused "concern among families and observers." These activists also referred to the "beatings" of several detained dervishes and their injuries, calling for "appropriate medical facilities" to be provided for them. In recent days, videos and photos of the severe "beatings" of the detained dervishes, including "fractures of the skull, jaw, and several teeth," and the poor physical condition of some of them have been released. Reports have also emerged about the deaths of three detained dervishes in the hospital, and Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesperson for the judiciary, confirmed the death of one dervish in the hospital. Among the signatories of this statement are Emadeddin Baghi, Abolfazl Ghadiani, Ahmad Montazeri, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Masoud Pedram, Alireza Rajai, Saeed Madani, Hassan Asadi Zeyd Abadi, Hossein Khomeini, Amin Ahmadian, Bahareh Hedayat, Mahdieh Golroo, Keyvan Samimi Behbahani, Reza Ansari Rad, Mostafa Badkoubeh, Ghorban Behzadian Nejad, Jalal Jalali Zadeh, Ali Jamali, Mohammad Sadegh Rabbani Amolshi, Zahra Rabbani Amolshi, Abdollah Ramadan Zadeh, Reyhaneh Tabatabai, Ghoncheh Ghavami, and Zahra Mojaradi. Nour Ali Tabandeh, the leader of the Gonabadi dervishes, has called on his followers to remain calm. However, attacks from some Shia clerics and close associates of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic against the dervishes continue. The Gonabadi dervishes' gathering on Monday, February 19, initially began in front of police station 102 in northern Tehran in protest against the arrest of a dervish named Nematollah Riahi. About two weeks prior, the Gonabadi dervishes had gathered after reports emerged about the establishment of a checkpoint near Nour Ali Tabandeh's house, which also turned violent due to security forces' intervention. The government's actions against this group intensified in 2005, when widespread destruction of Gonabadi dervish houses of worship began in various cities in Iran, followed by the arrest of many dervishes. The Human Rights Defenders Center wrote in an open letter to the UN Secretary-General in 2014 that the Gonabadi dervishes have faced "continuous harassment such as imprisonment, deprivation of social rights, and threats" for over 15 years.