Khamenei's Representative in Kayhan Attacks Gonabadi Dervishes Again; They Must Be Prosecuted

The Kayhan newspaper reacted to the resumption of activities at the central Gonabadi Dervish monastery in Tehran, calling for the formation of a case against them due to the events of Bahman 96 (February 2018). This newspaper, which operates under the supervision of Ali Khamenei's representative, wrote: "What does the reopening of the central Gonabadi Dervish monastery located on Behesht Street in Tehran mean, without addressing and dealing with the murderers of martyr Mohammad Hossein Hadadian and other martyrs who were brutally martyred at dawn on the 30th of Bahman 96 in Golestan Haftom Street by Gonabadi Dervishes?" This request from Kayhan, which survives on public funds, comes while on Friday, April 5, reports indicated that security forces prevented Gonabadi Dervishes from attending a Hosseiniyeh and performing Ramadan rituals. Reports show that in the incident at Golestan Haftom and the attacks by security forces and special units against Gonabadi Dervishes in front of the house of Noor Ali Tabandeh, the former leader of these Dervishes, 202 Dervishes were imprisoned and sentenced to a total of over 1080 years in prison. Mohammad Thalath was one of the Gonabadi Dervishes who was arrested on charges of killing law enforcement officers during these clashes and was later executed. Noor Ali Tabandeh, the leader of the Gonabadi Dervishes who was under house arrest after the Golestan Haftom events, passed away in Tehran on December 24, 2019. Tabandeh, who had been recognized as the leader of the Gonabadi Dervishes since 1992, was born in 1927 and graduated with a doctorate in law from the University of Paris. He briefly held the positions of Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance and Deputy Minister of Justice during the government of Mehdi Bazargan. Ibrahim Allahbakhshi, a Gonabadi Dervish, stated: "Four years after Golestan Haftom, four Dervishes are still imprisoned." The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom stated that mandatory hijab in Iran is a violation of human rights. UN experts called on the Iranian government to end the repression of religious and ethnic minorities. The pressure on Gonabadi Dervishes continues four years after the Golestan Haftom events.