Head of Basij Organization Announces Plans for Neighborhood Patrols

The head of the Basij Organization announced plans for the establishment of neighborhood patrols. Meanwhile, the newspaper Etemad compared the formation of these patrols to the actions of the 'Revolutionary Committees' in the 1980s. According to ISNA news agency, Gholamhossein Ghaibparvar stated in a press conference on Wednesday, November 15, that 'we intend to reduce checkpoints and convert them into neighborhood patrols.' According to Mr. Ghaibparvar, individuals selected for the neighborhood patrols will undergo training after meeting certain 'criteria' and will then operate 'in coordination' with the judiciary and law enforcement. He announced that these patrols will not be armed, 'will not invade individuals' privacy, and will only be responsible for maintaining security.' Since the 1979 revolution, Basij forces have established checkpoints in the streets of Iranian cities, inspecting passersby and passing vehicles. Although the number of these patrols decreased in the 1990s, various plans regarding checkpoints and Basij patrols have been implemented since the 2000s. For instance, since 2008, Basij patrols have been operational throughout Iran. Ahmad Zolghadr, the deputy operations commander of the Basij, stated that these patrols will consist of five members and will operate on foot in a thousand urban neighborhoods across the country. He described the goals of these patrols as 'helping to establish sustainable security in neighborhoods,' 'dealing with thugs and thieves,' 'preventing harm to public, governmental, and private properties,' and 'addressing visible crimes.' However, Basij forces had a significant presence in suppressing protesters following the 2009 presidential election just a year after the establishment of these patrols. Meanwhile, the Etemad newspaper, in its Thursday edition, compared the formation of Basij neighborhood patrols to the activities of the Revolutionary Committees in the early years of the 1979 revolution and the 1980s. The Revolutionary Committees acted in the 1980s to confront issues such as the distribution of music tapes, video films, home parties, and similar matters, which were referred to as 'immoral acts.' Committee members also played an active role in suppressing political opponents of the Islamic Republic. The final approval of the 'Strengthening the Basij' plan was reached in parliament on Wednesday. This plan had been approved in 2015 but faced objections from the Guardian Council regarding some sections. According to the amendments made to this plan, the government 'can allocate suitable lands for military training and conducting exercises for the Basij.' In recent years, several plans to 'strengthen' the Basij Organization have been approved. In this context, the killing of a commander affiliated with the Basij in Syria, the U.S. sanctioning of the law enforcement, IRGC, and Basij for post-election crackdowns, and the presence of 85,000 Basij members for 'ensuring security' during the ninth parliamentary elections are noteworthy.