Death of 26 Due to Consumption of Non-Standard Alcoholic Beverages; Traces of 'Government Murder'?

The consumption of non-standard alcoholic beverages in Iran has once again led to the death of 26 citizens; a journalist emphasized the 'traces of government murder' in their deaths and told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic has been taking the lives of Iranian citizens 'in various crimes' for years. According to reports from Iranian media, in the past four days, following the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, by Israel, which brought joy to a significant number of Iranians, 26 citizens lost their lives after consuming non-standard and counterfeit alcoholic beverages. According to reports from government news agencies, four people died in Hamadan, nine in Gilan, and 13 others in Mazandaran province, with two citizens hospitalized in ICUs in Gilan province. Ali Abbasi, the head of the forensic medicine department in Mazandaran, told Mehr News Agency that six people in Amol and seven in Chalous 'died as a result of consuming counterfeit alcoholic beverages'; he stated that two of the victims were women and 11 were men. Additionally, Mohammad Taghi Ashoubi, the head of Gilan University of Medical Sciences, confirmed the death of nine citizens in this province due to consuming non-standard alcoholic beverages and stated on Wednesday, October 3, that '32 patients with symptoms of dizziness, restlessness, and blurred vision' have only visited the 'Razi Educational and Treatment Center in Rasht.' Hediyeh Kimiaei, a social journalist, told Voice of America that the deaths of Iranian citizens have a long history, noting that 'in 1998, 896 people died from counterfeit alcoholic beverages within three months.' Kimiaei added, 'The Islamic Republic is the same government that directly and indirectly kills Iranian citizens,' while 'according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the protection of citizens' lives is the responsibility of the government,' but 'for years, the Islamic Republic has taken the lives of Iranian citizens in various crimes.' She also referred to reports from citizens about the IRGC's missile strikes towards Israel, emphasizing the endangerment of Iranian citizens' lives by the government, saying: 'On Tuesday night, when the Islamic Republic launched missiles from Iranian soil towards Israel, an Iranian citizen inside a passenger plane published a video showing missiles being fired from the airplane window. Missiles that could hit the plane at any moment and endanger the passengers' lives.' Kimiaei added, 'In all parts of the world during wartime, flights are canceled, but in the Islamic Republic, because citizens' lives have no value to it, flights were not canceled, and bombs were sent into the sky.' She recalled previous similar cases, stating, 'The Islamic Republic intentionally shot down the Ukrainian plane with missiles after the killing of Qassem Soleimani in January 1998, taking the lives of 176 people, many of whom were children,' and in fact, this government 'has no fear or concern about the killing of the Iranian people.' This journalist pointed out the interference of Islamic Republic officials in people's lifestyles and the pressure they exert on them, endangering their lives, emphasizing: 'In many crimes that the Islamic Republic calls incidents and human errors, traces of government murder can be seen.' Additionally, Soroush Lashkari, a protest singer known by the stage name 'Hichkas,' reacted to reports about the deaths of Iranian citizens due to the use of non-standard alcoholic beverages, emphasizing: 'The number one enemy of Iran and Iranians is the Islamic Republic.' 'Hichkas' stressed that 'the Islamic Republic is committing genocide and violating the Iranian nation in various forms every day,' adding: 'Since 1979, when Iran came under the occupation of terrorists, we have been living in war, not in the shadow of war.' Previously, videos of Iranians celebrating after the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah had been published on social media. The effort to impose the Islamic Republic's policies on the personal lives of citizens and interfere in their lifestyles, such as mandatory hijab enforced under the guise of 'promotion of virtue and prevention of vice,' has repeatedly claimed victims in Iran. Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, the production, preparation, distribution, and consumption of alcoholic beverages have been 'illegal' and carry various punishments, including execution. Accordingly, the unregulated preparation and distribution of alcohol using industrial alcohol have repeatedly led to the deaths and irreparable physical harm to citizens. Also see: The recurring story of counterfeit alcohol; the prosecutor of Maku reported the death of 3 people and hospitalization of 20 others. According to previous reports, in May of this year, the poisoning of several doctors due to the consumption of non-standard alcoholic beverages at a party in Shiraz resulted in the death of one of them, several others going into a coma, and kidney complications for some. Also see: The death of a specialist doctor in Shiraz due to consuming non-standard alcohol; the prohibition of 'alcoholic beverages' in Iran continues to claim victims. According to a 2018 report by the World Health Organization, Iran ranks ninth in the world for alcohol consumption. With the prohibition of the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in Iran, the production and distribution of non-standard alcoholic beverages have become widespread, repeatedly endangering citizens' lives. For example, in the summer of 2023, following a police raid on a party in Mashhad, a young man who attempted to escape from the officers fell from the sixth floor of a building and was killed. Additionally, last June, several citizens in the provinces of Alborz and Hormozgan died after consuming counterfeit alcohol.