Response to the IRGC's Claim Regarding Construction in Eshratabad, Tehran

Following reports of illegal construction in Eshratabad, the Deputy Mayor of Tehran rejected the claims of the IRGC's deputy regarding the existence of a municipal permit for construction near the historical Eshratabad building, emphasizing that the municipality has repeatedly warned the IRGC that this action is 'illegal.' According to ISNA, Pejman Pashmchizadeh, the Deputy of Urban Planning of Tehran Municipality and former mayor of District 7, stated on Friday, July 19, that the IRGC has paid 'no attention' to the warnings from Tehran Municipality. Reports indicate that despite the opposition of Tehran City Council members, several high-ranking officials in the municipality, the Cultural Heritage Organization, and even the head of the Administrative Justice Court, the construction project at the IRGC's Vali Asr base adjacent to the historical Kolah Farangi building in Eshratabad, which began in September 2014, continues, with the metal structure of this building rising to 14 floors. Mohammad Reza Yazdi, the legal deputy of the IRGC, stated on Tuesday, July 15, that the director of the municipal affairs office had announced in a letter dated September 13, 2013, that the IRGC was 'authorized to take necessary actions' for this project. However, the Deputy of Urban Planning of Tehran Municipality refuted this claim, stating that during his tenure as mayor of District 7, a letter was sent to the IRGC's Civil Defense Organization indicating that 'the issuance of any construction permit in the specified area is not possible from the perspective of this municipality.' According to Mr. Pashmchizadeh, a 'written warning' regarding the 'illegality' of construction in this area due to its green space and tourism usage according to Tehran's detailed plan was communicated to this military institution in 2012. The IRGC deputy claimed that the municipality should have announced regulations regarding 'density reduction or any other restrictions' within a month of the IRGC's request, but 'even until late last year,' these regulations had not been announced. Mr. Pashmchizadeh responded to these remarks by saying, 'IRGC officials refer to protocol documents... indicating that if a military institution requests construction in its area via a letter and does not receive a response from the municipality within a specified time, this institution is authorized to proceed with construction.' He added, 'This is while prior to this request being sent by the mentioned institution, the municipality had already issued a written notification warning that any construction in the area designated for green space and tourism is illegal.' The Deputy Mayor of Tehran also reported that according to the decision of the Tehran Municipality's Article 5 Commission, the maximum permitted height for the building under construction at the Vali Asr base is '16 meters,' and according to this decision, the additional floors of this building must be 'demolished.' Wajieh Qasemi, the public relations manager of the Tehran Cultural Heritage Organization, reported on Saturday that this project must be halted by the order of the investigator of Branch 3 of the Military Prosecutor's Office by Sunday, July 14. Ms. Qasemi announced on Sunday that this order had not been 'executed.' Nevertheless, the legal deputy and parliamentary affairs of the IRGC stated that the Military Prosecutor's Office had not issued a ruling regarding the halt of this project, and only the investigator of Branch 3 of this prosecutor's office had issued a 'decision' in this regard. The Kolah Farangi building in Eshratabad was registered as one of Iran's national heritage sites on April 12, 1967, under registration number 648. This building was constructed under the order of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar with an Iranian architectural model in four stories. After the fall of the Qajar dynasty and the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty, this garden and palace, along with the houses around the pond, were allocated for military use to the police, hence it was named the 'Police Barracks' or 'Eshratabad.' After the revolution, this barracks was confiscated by the IRGC and renamed 'Vali Asr Barracks.'