Parliament Representatives' Plan for Holding Protests Without Permission

One of the representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly referred to the plan to implement Article 27 of the Iranian Constitution, stating that under this plan, there will no longer be a need to obtain permission for holding protest gatherings. Abolfazl Torabi, a member of the Parliament's Council and Internal Affairs Commission, provided details about the implementation of Article 27 of the Iranian Constitution and its approval process in the Parliament in an interview with the House of Parliament News Agency on Saturday, June 16. Article 27, which appears in Chapter Three of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran under the title 'Rights of the People', states that 'forming assemblies and marches, without carrying weapons, is free as long as it does not disrupt the foundations of Islam.' However, this article has been practically ignored so far, as Iranian governments have often asked their critics to obtain permission from the Ministry of Interior for marches and protests. This has also provided a tool for dealing with protesters and detaining them. Now, the representative of Najafabad and Tyron in the Islamic Consultative Assembly says that the generalities of the plan to implement Article 27 of the Constitution have been approved in the Council and Internal Affairs Commission and sent to a specialized working group for detailed review. According to him, 'According to this plan, the only location for holding protests is in front of the Parliament, and the way to respond to public protests has also been specified.' Abolfazl Torabi stated that with the implementation of this plan, in gatherings of less than 300 people, a member of Parliament must be present, and in gatherings of less than 700 people, the head of the provincial representatives must be present. Additionally, in gatherings of less than 2000 people, the vice presidents of the Parliament must be present, and in gatherings of over 2000 people, the President of the Parliament 'must be present among the protesters, hear their voices, and respond.' Recently, the Iranian Cabinet issued a directive designating several sports venues and parks in various parts of Tehran as locations for gatherings in the capital. In this directive, the northern side of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has also been designated as one of the 'suitable' locations for gatherings. The Iranian Cabinet has also stipulated that, in addition to the capital, security councils in other cities of Iran should designate locations for gatherings. Accordingly, it is necessary to designate one location for cities with a population of less than one million and two locations for cities with a population of more than that. However, Mr. Torabi believes that this government decision lacks enforceability. He stated, 'Currently, there are gatherings almost every day in front of the Parliament. Therefore, with the approval of a law based on Article 27 of the Constitution, these gatherings will be held, and their security must also be ensured. If this plan is approved, there will no longer be a need to obtain permission for holding gatherings.' Nevertheless, Mohammad Reza Tabesh, another member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, reacted to this decision by saying that 'one of the most important issues in issuing this permit is not the freedom of these gatherings but the freedom and security after the gatherings.' The Deputy Head of the Hope Faction in the Parliament then noted that 'we hope the government clarifies its position on ensuring security after the protesters' demonstrations,' adding, 'In fact, maintaining the security of demonstrators after the protest is much more important than before it.' However, Mr. Tabesh generally welcomed the government's decision to designate locations for protest gatherings, stating that 'this permit is better than nothing.'