Sealing of 29 Restaurants and Seizure of Over 1,000 Vehicles in Karaj Over One Year

The Karaj Prosecutor's Office reported the seizure of over 1,300 vehicles due to "social anomalies" or "improper hijab" associated with them, and the sealing of 29 restaurants for holding "mixed gatherings" and "serving alcoholic beverages." According to the website of the General Directorate of Justice of Alborz Province on Tuesday (May 21), the seizure of these 1,333 vehicles has taken place since the beginning of the year 1394 (2015). Reza Shakeri, the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Karaj, stated that these vehicles were seized for reasons such as non-compliance with Islamic hijab, creating disturbances for women, cruising, and causing noise pollution. He announced that the seizure of this number of vehicles is part of a plan to confront "social anomalies and instances of improper hijab." The prosecutor of Karaj also reported the sealing of 29 restaurants during this period that held "mixed gatherings or served alcoholic beverages." However, police officers from the venues and moral security units periodically confront coffeehouses, restaurants, and cafes under the pretext of "improper hijab," non-compliance with "Islamic decorum," and "providing hookah to women." In Bahman 1394 (January 2016), Haidar Fattahi, the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Pardis, announced the sealing of the largest restaurant in eastern Tehran due to "issues against public decency and non-compliance with legal and religious matters," holding "mixed gatherings," and providing "drugs and alcoholic beverages" to guests. The statistics provided by the prosecutor of Karaj follow the statements of Hossein Sajjadi-Nia, the commander of the Tehran police, regarding the details of the "moral security" plan. Sajjadi-Nia stated on April 30 that seven thousand officers in the form of "invisible moral security patrols" report the license plates of vehicles involved in issues such as "unveiling in vehicles," "harassment of women," "noise pollution," and "performing stunts" via "text messages." This plan, which faced opposition from Hassan Rouhani and his government but was welcomed by the judiciary and some military commanders and hardliners, has also been endorsed by Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic. In a recent meeting with police commanders, Khamenei urged them to disregard "opposition from some individuals or media fabrications" in implementing the "moral security" plan. Prior to him, Hassan Firouzabadi, the chief of staff of the armed forces, stated that "any resistance" against the "moral security" plan would be considered "resistance against the implementation of the law." He also requested that all media and "speakers" refrain from involving "unreal, marginal, and political" issues regarding this plan.