Iran's Interior Minister: Security Forces Acted Tolerantly During Recent Unrest

The Interior Minister once again praised the performance of military and security authorities during the protests in January across 100 cities in Iran, stating that the 'behavior and treatment' of law enforcement and judicial forces towards detainees was 'good'. According to the Mehr News Agency, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said on Tuesday, January 30, that security and law enforcement agencies, 'especially the police, acted with restraint, tolerance, and prudence during the recent unrest'. While officials have reported that at least 25 people were killed in the streets during the recent protests, the Interior Minister claims that the 'behavior and treatment' of law enforcement and judicial forces towards the detainees was good. He spoke of the 'good behavior' of judicial authorities in prisons with detainees, despite human rights organizations reporting the deaths of at least five individuals in prisons, two of which have been confirmed by judicial authorities. In recent weeks, reports have emerged regarding the deaths of Vahid Heydari and Shahab Abtahi Zadeh in Arak, Sina Ghanbari in Evin, Mohsen Adeli in Dezful, Saro Ghahramani and Kianoush Zandi in Sanandaj. Meanwhile, judicial officials claim that these individuals 'committed suicide' or that their deaths were unrelated to the protests. Additionally, the committee monitoring the arrests during the January 2018 protests reported severe beatings of Sina Ghanbari and bruising on his body, as well as 'severe beating' of several other detainees from the recent protests and the distribution of 'methadone' pills among prisoners by Evin prison officials. According to this committee, most detainees report 'abusive language and inappropriate behavior by officers' during their arrest in police detention centers, and some detainees have also been 'severely beaten' during this time. The committee also reported, citing two 'eyewitnesses', that Sina Ghanbari was interrogated two days before his death and 'after his arrest, he told his cellmates that they had done spring cleaning (beaten him) to the extent that some parts of his body were severely bruised'. According to the report, the body of Sina Ghanbari was found on the morning of January 5, with a 'garbage bag tied around his neck, in the bathroom of the quarantine section of Evin prison by prisoners assigned to cleaning duties'. Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative from Tehran in Parliament, tweeted on January 26 that 'one of the prisoners who recently died in prison told his family during a call that prisoners were forced to take pills that made them feel ill'. This was denied by the prison organization. The Interior Minister also claimed on January 4 that the recent protests in Iran were resolved 'with the highest level of tolerance' and 'in the best way'. He stated that the events occurring in Iran happen everywhere in the world, including the United States and Europe, adding that 'if these events continue, it is due to the restraint, tolerance, endurance, and interaction of the government and military and law enforcement agencies with the people'. In January of this year, despite the widespread presence of security forces, the suppression of protests from the first days, and severe restrictions on the internet and messaging networks, multiple demonstrations were held in over 100 cities in Iran and continued for several days despite warnings from security and law enforcement officials. After the street protests began in Iran, initially with the slogan 'No to Inflation' in Mashhad, quickly transitioning to political demands, all official figures in the Islamic Republic, including the leader, president, and his deputies and ministers, attributed these unrests to 'enemies', which led to many negative reactions. The Interior Minister continued his remarks on Tuesday by announcing that judicial authorities are addressing the cases of 'those who committed crimes during the recent unrest', stating that 'less than 300 individuals who committed crimes during the recent events' remain in custody. He added that based on reports received from cities and provinces, 'we currently do not have any detained students related to the recent events'. The Interior Minister also requested the ministries of science and health, as well as student affairs officials, to refer any 'cases in this regard to us for follow-up'. He mentioned that nine individuals remain detained in Tehran in connection with the recent events, none of whom are students. Mansour Gholami, the Minister of Science, Research, and Technology of Iran, recently announced that all students detained in recent weeks have been released. Mahmoud Sadeghi had previously stated that over 3,700 individuals were arrested during the recent protests across Iran. Reports indicate the arrest of about 130 students from various universities in Iran during these protests.