Interior Ministry Warns of Firm Legal Action Against 'Disturbers of Public Order and Security' in Kazeroon

On Thursday evening, May 17, the Iranian Ministry of Interior announced that the plan to create a new county in Kazeroon has been halted and threatened to take 'firm legal action' against 'disturbers of public order and security.' According to the ISNA news agency, the ministry also stated that the clashes on Wednesday night in Kazeroon 'are rooted in other factors that need to be accurately identified, rather than being purely divisional.' Following the visit of the Director General of National Divisions of the Ministry of Interior to Kazeroon, the plan to create a new county has been 'suspended until a thorough review and consideration of public suggestions and addressing existing deficiencies.' A group of Kazeroon residents are protesting a plan that would create a new county named 'Kohchenar' by separating several cities and districts from Kazeroon, which they view as 'the disintegration of Kazeroon.' Continuing protests from previous months saw a group of people gather on Thursday evening in opposition to this plan, leading to clashes with security forces. While some sources reported at least three deaths and numerous injuries and arrests during the protest in Kazeroon on Wednesday night, the Fars governor confirmed only one death. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Sadqi, a representative from Tehran in the parliament, stated, 'People expect the law to be upheld. Violence is not the right way to respond to people's protests.' Reports indicate that the atmosphere in Kazeroon remains tense, with security personnel present in various parts of the city. The Ministry of Interior has urged the people of Kazeroon to be wary of what it calls 'the plots of adversaries and counter-revolutionary websites and the sinister goals of enemies' and to 'not allow the social security of the region to be disrupted and an atmosphere of insecurity to prevail.' The announcement also threatened that those who 'attempt to disturb public order and security with ulterior motives will face firm legal action.' Several social media users shared images and videos claiming that following the arrest of some residents of Kazeroon on Wednesday, a number of people gathered in front of the intelligence police base, but the gathering turned violent due to a police assault and gunfire. According to Hadi Pajoohesh Jahromi, the political, security, and social deputy of the Fars governorate, after some protesters were arrested, others 'attacked the police station to free the detainees and broke the station's windows with stones but faced police resistance.' The violent confrontation with the Kazeroon protest has drawn reactions from various political figures and groups. Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, referred to the events in Kazeroon as 'another crime' by the 'occupier of Iran' and praised the 'steadfastness and bravery' of the people of this city. The National Council of Resistance, the political branch of the People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran, also reported the deaths of 'at least two demonstrators' and a 'large number' of injured and detained individuals. The creation of the new county has also been a subject of conflict among Kazeroon officials. Local media reported that while Mohammad Kharsand, the Friday prayer leader of Kazeroon, opposes the creation of the new county, Hossein Razazadeh, the representative of Kazeroon in parliament, has sought to separate his hometown (Qaimiyeh) from Kazeroon. Since the 1979 revolution, there have been dozens of protests against administrative divisions in Iran, with some protesters killed and injured by security forces in cities like Qazvin and Sabzevar. Social protests have intensified across various regions of Iran in recent months, and after the nationwide protests in January, cities have witnessed gatherings for various reasons.