Continued Controversies Surrounding the Narenjestan Incident; Fars' Reaction to Farhikhtegan's Report: That Account is 'Fake'

A media outlet close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that a recent report by the Farhikhtegan newspaper, affiliated with Azad University, regarding the 'hidden aspects' of the Narenjestan incident in Shiraz and the culpability of the 'promoter of virtue' is based on the newspaper's ignorance. The Fars news agency stated: In recent days, a text has been published in 'cyberspace' in a 'targeted' manner, claiming that the 'lady promoting virtue' initially assaulted an individual who had 'removed her hijab', and subsequently, her husband attacked this woman who defends mandatory hijab. This news agency, whose report has been republished in other like-minded media, including the 'Rajanews' website, further claimed that this account is 'fake' and was prepared with the aim of 'exonerating the assailants', and after being republished in the Farhikhtegan newspaper, it 'gained new dimensions.' A video was recently circulated on social media showing a physical altercation between a man and a 'veiled woman' in Narenjestan, Shiraz. In it, the veiled woman protests to several other women whom she believes are not properly adhering to mandatory hijab, and as the altercation escalates, a man present at the scene confronts the veiled woman and a 'physical altercation' ensues. On August 19, Kazem Mousavi, the head of the judiciary in Fars province, announced that according to the 'preliminary' court ruling, the 'assailant' was sentenced to 74 lashes, 2 years of exile, and a total of 500 million rials in fines instead of imprisonment for the charges of 'insult, assault, and harassment of the lady promoting virtue.' According to this judicial official, three other defendants in the case were fined for 'not adhering to the mandatory hijab', 'obstructing the promotion of virtue', and 'insulting the complainant', and the manager of the Narenjestan complex was sentenced to 2 years of 'disqualification from public service', which has been suspended for 2 years. However, a day after this judicial ruling, the Farhikhtegan newspaper published a different account stating that 'the assailant was convicted, but the main culprit was the woman who both insulted and physically attacked.' This newspaper reported that the published account is only one side of the story, and based on 'the report of a local journalist from Shiraz, when the woman's scarf slightly slips back but does not completely fall off her head, the veiled woman takes action after warning her to cover her scarf, which leads to the altercation.' According to the Farhikhtegan newspaper, the veiled woman, known as the 'promoter of virtue', punched and insulted the woman who did not have mandatory hijab. Meanwhile, Fars news agency claimed that 'follow-ups' indicate that the account by Farhikhtegan 'is not accurate' and the statements from the other party, witnesses to the incident, and the evidence cited by judicial authorities 'prove the respectful tone and language of the promoters of virtue contradicts this.' The media outlet close to the IRGC released a video containing statements from a veiled woman who claims that on August 8, she along with several others, gave 'hijab warnings' to several women but then her husband attacked them. Nonetheless, as reported by Farhikhtegan, which has called for the release of 'surveillance camera footage', following this incident, with the intervention of the husband of the assaulted woman, the veiled woman again 'insults and strikes' the husband of that woman. The man, after becoming angry, engages in a confrontation with the veiled woman, and [only] the video of that [moment] is published. On August 1, Mohammad Saeed Montazeralmahdi, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's police, announced that the 'assailant' is a member of the police force. This statement was made following a tweet from the Hamshahri newspaper referencing that 'the assailant is a member of the police force.' According to the spokesperson for the Iranian government police, the case has been handed over to the 'General Inspection of Faraja' for investigation of violations by order of Ahmadreza Radan, the commander of the Islamic Republic's police. The report from yesterday's Farhikhtegan newspaper also notes that the man identified in the released video as the 'assailant' is still in custody.