Judiciary Reports Arrest of One of the 'Main Suspects' in the Production of Poisonous Alcoholic Beverages in Karaj

Following the deadly incident of distributing poisonous alcoholic beverages in Alborz province, the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has announced the arrest of 'one of the main suspects' involved in their production after an 'order from the head of the judiciary.' According to the media center of the judiciary, Hossein Fazeli Harikandi, the head of the Alborz province judiciary, stated that this incident has so far resulted in the death of '15 people' and the poisoning and hospitalization of 'approximately 180 people.' He reported the identification and arrest of 'three retailers' involved in the 'distribution of homemade alcoholic beverages,' who claimed they obtained the mentioned alcohol under the name 'ethanol' from 'two medical equipment sellers' and sold it after mixing, with those two sellers and an intermediary also being 'arrested.' On June 16, reports emerged of dozens of people being poisoned and at least 10 fatalities due to the consumption of poisonous alcoholic beverages, with individuals aged 'between 16 and 50 years' hospitalized in 'Kowsar, Alborz, Rajai, and Kasra' hospitals in Alborz province. Conflicting statistics regarding the number of hospitalized and deceased individuals have been published by Islamic Republic officials in recent days. In the following days, the statistics increased, with some experts attributing this to patients' reluctance to seek medical care due to 'fear of judicial repercussions.' The head of the Alborz province judiciary further stated that additional investigations led to a factory in the Eshtehard industrial town that produces cosmetic and hygiene products. According to this judicial official, the factory owner 'claimed to procure quota alcohol for cosmetic products' and then 'engaged in illegal sales' of the alcohol. The Islamic Republic has banned the consumption of alcoholic beverages in Iran, with legal penalties for consumers including lashes and execution. Meanwhile, for the past four decades, the consumption of these beverages has continued widely without health and legal oversight over their production and distribution. Fazeli Harikandi also announced that on the previous day [Tuesday, June 30], another 'main suspect' in the production and manufacture of poisonous alcoholic beverages in Karaj was identified and arrested in one of the 'southwestern provinces' of the country. According to a report from the World Health Organization published in 2018, Iran ranks ninth in the world for alcohol consumption. Meanwhile, Kazem Alamdari, a sociologist, told the Persian section of 'Voice of America': 'The direct responsibility for the lives lost due to counterfeit alcohol lies with the Islamic Republic.' The number of victims of alcohol poisoning in Karaj has increased to 15. The number of victims of 'counterfeit alcohol' has risen to 16; several boys and girls in Karaj have become 'blind.'