Continued Crackdown on Civil Activists; Iranian Government Claims: They Were Members of the 'Disruption Organization Network'

On Wednesday, September 6, the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Intelligence issued a joint statement claiming to have dealt a 'serious blow to the network organizing disruptions' ahead of the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in custody. This statement comes amid ongoing arrests of the families of those killed in nationwide protests and several political, professional, and civil activists in Iran. According to reports from Iranian news agencies, the statement indicated that several members of a network described by the IRGC and the Ministry of Intelligence as the 'disruption organization network' had been 'identified' and 'hit.' The statement did not mention the names or number of those arrested. This is not the first time such news has been released by the Iranian security apparatus. Over the past four decades since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, Iranian security agencies have frequently issued statements regarding the arrests of individuals labeled as disruptors and spies. For instance, last May, several labor and teacher activists were arrested after meeting with two French union activists in Tehran and were accused of espionage and other security-related charges. Despite the accusations, which were accompanied by videos and images of these activists, they were denied by the detainees, their families, labor organizations, and international labor unions. Reports to VOA indicated that the detained activists faced heavy and prolonged interrogations and were subsequently sentenced to prison. In their joint statement, the IRGC and the Ministry of Intelligence accused the members of the targeted network of 'organizing women and planning for roles in disruptions with financial support from the U.S. State Department, directing the Freedom House and the Institute for Nonviolence for Democracy, and under the management of an expatriate political figure.' They also accused the detainees of 'training elements from inside and outside the country by holding free and virtual courses for women activists and civil society.' The statement also mentioned that 'this institute, which held its last training workshop in July for women activists abroad, conducted by a journalist from hostile media at the Security University of Swansea in the UK, intended to hold a confidential course on September 16 and 23, 2023, with a group of civil activists and women in the virtual space.' Previously, the Gilan Intelligence Department stated that several women's rights activists were arrested for 'forming a group for sabotage actions.' News sources mentioned several names of detainees such as Jalveh Javaheri, Forough Samiinia, Matin Yazdani, Yasamin Hashedari, Negin Rezaei, Zahra Dadras, Zohreh Dadras, Vahedeh Khushsirat, Shiva Shahsiah, Sara Jahani, Azadeh Chavoshian, and Hooman Taheri, who were arrested in the cities of Rasht, Lahijan, Fuman, and Bandar Anzali. Following this, around four hundred civil and women's rights activists condemned the arrests in Gilan province and the intensification of pressure on civil activists and the families of the victims, calling for an end to the fabrication of cases and the unconditional release of all detainees. The signatories of this statement, a copy of which was sent to VOA, rejected the Ministry of Intelligence's claim about the training of two detainees by 'enemy intelligence services abroad,' considering these individuals as 'well-known names in Iranian civil society.' The statement emphasized that pressures on social activists and gender equality advocates would not lead to a retreat of the people, especially women, from their demands. Meanwhile, the announcement from the Iranian security apparatus comes at a time when U.S. government officials have repeatedly denied the Iranian government's claims of interference in Iran. For example, the U.S. State Department explicitly rejected the Iranian judiciary's claim about 'the connection of Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi with the U.S. government,' considering it aimed at 'intimidating journalists in Iran.' Additionally, John Kirby, the National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator at the White House, stated: 'After the death of Mahsa Amini and the public protests, the people of Iran must now be able to make decisions for themselves and choose their own clothing.' Furthermore, Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, previously stated in response to a question from a VOA Persian reporter that the Islamic Republic has not learned from the recent protests.