From 12 Million 'Food Poor' to Dispatching 10,000 Sanitation Workers to Karbala

Numbers sometimes carry astonishing realities. Radio Free Europe looks at the statistics that have recently been circulating in Iran: 10,000 sanitation workers were dispatched to Karbala by the municipality during Arbaeen. According to AFP, on December 13, 10,000 volunteer sanitation workers have been sent to Karbala with the help of Tehran municipality, along with 60 garbage collection vehicles sent to this holy city for Shia Muslims. 191,000 cases and identification of suspects in Isfahan acid attacks. According to Tasnim News Agency, on December 13, Hossein Zolfaqari, the Deputy Security Minister of Iran, stated that the main suspects in the acid attacks in Isfahan have not yet been identified, revealing that '191,000' individuals are being examined to identify the perpetrators of this crime and that it cannot be said with 'certainty' that the main suspect has left Iran. According to this official, in addition to examining 191,000 people from 'one sector', black motorcycles in Isfahan, all divorce cases, and 'all mentally ill patients in Isfahan' have been reviewed to identify the perpetrators of the chain acid attacks in this city. 12 trillion tomans in financial corruption. According to ISNA, on December 6, Ali Taebnia, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance of Iran, recently announced the discovery of a 'financial corruption' case in the country's banking network involving violations worth 12 trillion tomans, stating that the suspects in this case have been arrested. According to Mr. Taebnia, one of the cases of financial corruption discovered in recent months had a total value of approximately 12 trillion tomans, which is being pursued in the judiciary, and nearly 100% of this amount has been returned to the bank, with the suspects currently in prison. The Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance of Iran stated that this 12 trillion tomans is the total turnover of worthless interbank checks and some bank guarantees. 10 million illiterates in Iran. According to ISNA, on December 11, the head of the Literacy Movement Organization of Iran stated that there are approximately 9 million and 820 thousand illiterates in Iran. Ali Bagherzadeh announced this in the city of Birjand, stating that the current priority of the Literacy Movement Organization is to educate individuals under 49 years old. Before the announcement of the 9 million and 820 thousand illiterates in Iran, the state news agency IRNA had reported in May that nearly 10 million people in Iran are completely illiterate and about 11 million are semi-literate. 450 thousand Afghan migrants have had their residency extended in Iran. According to Radio Azadi, on December 13, Iran has extended the residency of about 450 thousand Afghan migrants for 6 months. According to Mohammad Muhaqiq, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Afghan government, these individuals only include Afghans who have residency documents in Iran, but whose documents expired on December 6. Mr. Muhaqiq stated that about two million other Afghans live in Iran, half of whom have residency documents and the other half have entered Iran illegally. The widespread expulsion of Afghans from Iran in recent years and the issuance of some discriminatory regulations against them have been subjects of extensive discussions in Iran. 7 million liters of gasoline saved. According to IRNA, on December 12, Mohammad Shariatmadari, the Deputy Executive of the President of Iran, stated that with the modernization of urban and intercity taxi fleets and the cancellation of a large number of 'illegal' fuel cards in 2013 and 2014, approximately seven million liters of gasoline are saved daily. He also reported an equivalent of 90 billion tomans in 'financial indiscipline' in the fuel transportation management headquarters during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, stating that part of the claims has been 'returned' to the treasury. Summon 100 Ahmadinejad government managers. According to IRNA, on December 13, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs against Saeed Mortazavi in the case of 'Social Security Organization violations' announced the preparation of a bill requesting the summons of one hundred managers from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government to the prosecutor's office, identifying former board members of the Workers' Welfare Bank and companies under the Social Security Organization as among these individuals. Khalil Bahramian also stated that Saeed Mortazavi does not disclose the names of those parliament members who received money or gift cards from him. 12 million 'food poor' identified in Iran. According to Mehr News Agency, on December 5, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare stated that 12 million 'food poor' have been identified in Iran. According to Ali Rabiei, with the help of the Statistical Center and other statistical organizations, about 12 million food poor have been identified. He did not provide an explanation on how the number of millions of food poor in Iran was calculated. 7,000 unauthorized crossers identified to Iraq. According to ISNA, on December 14, the commander of the Mehran border regiment reported the identification and return of 7,000 unauthorized crossers disguised as pilgrims. 'Gholam Sahraei' stated that with the vigilance of border guards and information received indicating that a large number of unauthorized crossers disguised as pilgrims intending to exit the country at the zero border point and the location of pilgrims' exit were prevented from leaving and returned to behind the border gate.