New Details on the Attack on Tourists in Opert; Semnan Governorate: Ask the IRGC

An Iranian media outlet has provided new details about the attack by Islamic Republic forces on tourists at the Opert nature camping site, stating that the assailants were equipped with 'military vehicles and official weapons.' The website 'Ruydad 24' reported on Sunday, August 8, about the attack on July 20 against tourists at the Opert camp located on the border of Mazandaran and Semnan provinces, noting that the Semnan governorate has stated it had 'no involvement' in the attack and that 'the IRGC should provide information.' The media outlet claims to have obtained information indicating that 'the individuals who attacked were in military vehicles and armed with official weapons.' On the evening of Thursday, July 20, individuals reportedly wearing 'IRGC uniforms' violently assaulted tourists in the Opert area. An eyewitness previously told Voice of America that a few hours after their arrival at the Opert campsite, two armed vehicles marked with the IRGC insignia approached them and violently demanded that women adhere to mandatory hijab laws. They returned later that night and attacked the tourists with 'stun guns and tear gas.' Hours later, a video surfaced on social media showing individuals in the dark chanting against military institutions. Mojtaba Aghvami-Panah, the governor of Mahdishahr in Semnan where Opert is located, told Ruydad 24 that 'the issue has escalated beyond the governorate level' and requested that the matter be pursued with the governor. However, Hojjatollah Yahyaei, spokesperson and deputy director of public relations for the Semnan governorate, stated that 'despite a security council meeting' regarding the attack on the Opert camp, 'the issue has also 'gone beyond the governorate' and that 'you should speak with the IRGC about this attack.' According to the report, the IRGC forces entered the Opert area 'to seize an unidentified object,' but one of the tourists who was injured in the attack said that on that day, 'I saw a drone flying,' a device that 'nature tourists typically use to film beautiful scenes,' but this had 'nothing to do with the timing of their attack.' This eyewitness described the video of the chants against the IRGC as 'fabricated and ridiculous,' asserting that the film 'has no connection to where we were' and was made 'to cleanse the assailants.' They also emphasized that the issue of 'conflict with local people is also fabricated' and 'had nothing to do with that night' and 'I strongly deny it.' This tourist recounted their experience of the government forces' attack on tourists: 'We were sleeping in the tent and car when suddenly a group came and shouted and without any explanation, beat us to the point of death. They pointed a weapon at me and said to sit down. One person hit me with a stun gun on my neck and struck my face with a baton and kicked me. As a result of the blows, the right side of my waist has gone numb and has severely damaged my spinal nerve.' According to them, due to 'the injury to their nerve, they cannot move from their place; when lying down, they cannot turn right or left, when sitting they cannot move even a few degrees, and they cannot stand on their feet, effectively becoming like paralyzed individuals.' With the intensification of civil disobedience against mandatory hijab laws, the Islamic Republic's security and judicial actions against citizens, especially women, have increased, and government officials are seeking to formulate stricter laws to counter individual freedoms and enforce mandatory hijab. Farough Kanaan, a political activist, previously told Voice of America that the so-called 'Chastity and Hijab' bill is a declaration of war by the Islamic Republic against the Iranian people and the gray sector.