Iran's Minister of Agriculture: We Have Over 100,000 Cases of Land Grabbing

Mahmoud Hojjati, Iran's Minister of Agriculture, stated on Friday, April 23, that some individuals have gained 'windfall wealth' by changing the use of agricultural land, and that there are more than 100,000 cases of land grabbing in the country. In a meeting with administrative officials in Kerman province, Hojjati expressed that 'the fight against the change of agricultural land use has always been a concern for the government.' According to Tasnim News Agency, the Minister added: 'There must be a decisive fight against land grabbing; sometimes, individuals gain windfall wealth through changing land use, which is the right of the public treasury.' Hojjati mentioned that 'there are over 100,000 cases of land grabbing in the country that need to be addressed, but unfortunately, we sometimes witness cumbersome laws in this area.' Ahmad Nabavi, the director of inspections at the Department of Environment, also commented on Friday regarding the evaluation of performance and handling complaints of the Iranian Environmental Organization, stating that 3,000 hectares of land have been reclaimed from 'the occupation' of those he referred to as 'the affluent without pain.' He added that the reclamation of another 5,000 hectares of these lands is currently under judicial review and follow-up. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, expressed regret last year over 'the encroachment of profiteers on forests and natural resources, especially in the north of the country,' and severely criticized 'land grabbing and mountain grabbing' in Iran. The issue of changing agricultural land use has led to protests in recent years. Last year, the cutting down of trees in the 'Apple Orchard' in Mehrshahr, Karaj, sparked citizen protests. Iranian media reported that in April 2014, during the holidays, '2,300 trees' from this orchard were 'secretly' cut down. According to IRNA, the historical apple orchard in Mehrshahr, Karaj, covers about 340 hectares, and a company affiliated with an executive body cut down 2,300 trees from this orchard, which was met with protests from the public and local officials. The apple orchard is located within the Pearl Palace (Shams Palace) area in Mehrshahr, Karaj, which was confiscated after the revolution and transferred to the Foundation of the Oppressed. In this context, a member of parliament stated that the Organization of Endowments and Charity Affairs is the biggest land grabber.