Judgment Issued in Clash with 'Promoter of Virtue' in Narenjestan Shiraz; Exile, Whipping, and Heavy Fines

Iranian news agencies reported, citing the 'Media Center of the Judiciary', that the court has issued a ruling regarding an individual who recently clashed with a 'promoter of virtue' in the Narenjestan garden in Shiraz. According to this report, the head of the judiciary in Fars province stated that the accused is currently in temporary detention in a 'military prison' and said, 'Three sentences have been issued regarding the Narenjestan incident, including exile, whipping, and heavy fines.' This judicial official emphasized that 'we deal very seriously with the promotion of virtue so that no one dares to do such a thing.' A video was recently circulated on social media showing a physical altercation between a man and a woman in a chador in Narenjestan Shiraz. Hours after the video was published, the social deputy of the Fars police, Kavous Mohammadi, announced that 'the matter has been placed on the police's special agenda.' This police official from Fars province noted that 'public security police' have begun their investigations and stated that the assailant has been 'identified' and 'summoned to the police station through technical and specialized measures.' Kazem Mousavi, the head of the judiciary in Fars, also emphasized on Tuesday, July 31, the 'decisive support of the judiciary for promoters of virtue' and instructed the public and revolutionary prosecutor of the province to handle this case specially and out of turn, and to inform the public about the actions taken. In the circulated video, a veiled woman protests against several other women who are not wearing mandatory hijab, and as the altercation escalates, a man present at the scene protests against the veiled woman, leading to a physical confrontation. The continued crackdown on supporters of optional hijab; the aftermath of the attack on an individual in Narenjestan Shiraz. The man 'assailant' in the video of the altercation with a 'promoter of virtue' was a member of the 'police force.'