Iran's Attorney General Threatens Sunni Friday Prayer Leader of Iranshahr with Legal Action

The Attorney General of Iran described the statements made by the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Iranshahr regarding "the rape of 41 girls" as "baseless," "absolute lies," and "fabricated," threatening that if he cannot substantiate his claims, he will face legal action for "disturbing public opinion." Mohammad Jafar Montazeri stated on Tuesday, June 18, that "this incident, as presented, is an absolute lie." He emphasized that "we will also pursue the source of this news, and the groundwork for that has been laid." The Attorney General of Iran added, "Anyone who fabricates such news and announces it baselessly at a ceremony must be able to prove this claim; otherwise, they will be prosecuted under the charge of disturbing public opinion according to the law." This judicial official stated that news related to "moral issues, the honor of people, and matters that have a familial and reputational aspect must remain confidential according to religious and legal standards." On Friday, June 14, Mawlawi Tayeb Malazahi, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Iranshahr, reported during the Eid al-Fitr sermon about "the rape of 41 girls" in this city and the arrest of one of the suspects. However, judicial authorities in Sistan and Baluchestan rejected his statements regarding the details of these rapes, only mentioning "the rape of three girls." Meanwhile, Ali Mohammadi Rad, the prosecutor of Zahedan, stated on Sunday that currently three individuals have filed complaints "under the title of kidnapping and rape," with "one of them raped last December, another in May, and the third in June." The Attorney General, referring to the complaints of three individuals, said, "We need to see the extent and nature of the issue and whether the complainants remain with their complaints or not." A group of people in Iranshahr gathered in front of the city’s governorate on Sunday, demanding that this case be addressed. Nabi Baksh Davoodi, the governor of Iranshahr, stated in front of the protesters that the perpetrators of this act, "regardless of who they are and from what ethnicity, will be arrested and punished." Meanwhile, Tayebe Siawoshi, a member of the Women’s Faction in Parliament, mentioned that according to her inquiries from "unofficial sources," the Friday prayer leader of Iranshahr stated that one of the suspects in these rapes "has a base of power and wealth." Ms. Siawoshi considered the public disclosure of this issue by the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Iranshahr as "noteworthy" and promised to raise this issue in the open session of Parliament on Tuesday, June 29. Several government officials and members of Parliament have expressed concern about the situation of the girls who have been raped. For instance, Mohammad Baluch-Zahi, the central district governor of Nikshahr in Sistan and Baluchestan province, stated that "most families of rape victims consider their daughters a stain of shame on their honor" and "in similar cases, some families" have resorted to killing them to remove this "stain." On the other hand, Mawlawi Abdulhamid Ismailzahi, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, called on the girls from Iranshahr who have been "abused and raped" to file complaints without fear, emphasizing that "no one has the right to treat them badly." Following reports about "the rape of 41 girls" in Iranshahr, Iran's Minister of Interior also ordered the governor of Sistan and Baluchestan to pursue this matter "diligently" and prepare a "detailed" report on it. On June 29, reports emerged regarding the rape of a five-year-old Afghan girl named Bahareh living in Khomeini Shahr, Isfahan, and a few days later, the head of the forensic medicine organization announced that the rape of her had been confirmed. However, Mohammad Javad Abtahi, the representative of this district, expressed doubt about the rape of this girl, suggesting that her bleeding might have been due to the entry of a "Pepsi bottle." These remarks by Mr. Abtahi sparked widespread protests on social media.