Destruction of 'Illegal Garden Cities' in Shiraz Halted Due to Threats

The head of the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Fars Province announced that the demolition of 'illegal garden cities' in the 'Daryoun' area of Shiraz was halted due to 'threats against the bulldozer driver' by 'interested parties in land grabbing.' According to the state news agency IRNA, Abdolali Karimi stated on Tuesday, September 7, that the demolition of four 'garden cities' was planned with the coordination of law enforcement and the presence of a court representative, but was stopped due to the threats. The 'Daryoun' section is located 30 kilometers northeast of Shiraz. Mr. Karimi also reported that judicial officials in Fars Province have issued the necessary permits for the demolition of 18 garden cities in the 'Khalidabad and Darimeh' areas of Shiraz, and their demolition began on the morning of Tuesday. 'Garden cities' refer to structures such as villas or restaurants built within gardens on the outskirts of Shiraz, some of which date back 20 years. However, Qobad Afshar, head of the national land affairs organization, previously stated that 'none' of the 'garden cities' in Fars Province have permits from the Supreme Council of Urban Planning or land use change permits from the Agricultural Jihad, and all will be demolished by the end of the year. Mr. Afshar also mentioned approximately '15,000 to 20,000' hectares of land grabbing in Fars Province without providing details. Meanwhile, Hossein Masoum, an advisor to the Minister of Roads and Urban Development, reported earlier in September about land grabbing in the new city of Sadra in Shiraz 'under the cover' of endowment, stating that the case is currently being re-examined in court. He did not mention the area of the lands involved in this case. The issue of illegal construction and land grabbing has also made headlines in other provinces of Iran, including the Heyran Pass, where representatives have accused each other of land grabbing. Kazem Palizdar, secretary of the Iranian Economic Corruption Combat Headquarters, emphasized on September 12 that 'widespread violations' have occurred in the Heyran Pass area and reported a 'special order' from Eshaq Jahangiri, the first vice president of Hassan Rouhani, to five government officials to address land grabbing in this area. Additionally, Mohammad Mahdi Mir Hashemi, head of land affairs in Gilan Province, announced that on Tuesday, 11 cases of 'illegal' construction in the Heyran area, covering 11,085 square meters, were demolished. According to Mr. Mir Hashemi, out of 41 cases of 'illegal' construction in this area, six have been demolished, six others have been issued a no-prosecution order, and 29 cases are in the appeal stage. Mr. Mir Hashemi's statements come as Qobad Afshar reported on September 7 about 300 cases of 'illegal' construction in this village. In recent months, cases of land grabbing in the Qeshm Free Zone have also emerged, and according to reports, Reza Mousavi and Esfandiar Heydaripour, two former CEOs of this area, have been arrested in this regard. Meanwhile, Akbar Turkan, secretary of the Supreme Council of Free Zones, reported on September 1 that 154 land transfer contracts for construction projects in the Kish Free Zone, where 'no action' had been taken, were canceled in the past two years. According to Mr. Turkan, these land transfer contracts 'had no real substance.'