Tehran Governor's Office: 450 Arrested in the Past Three Days in Tehran

In continuation of the street protests by the people in the capital and several other cities in Iran, the Deputy Governor of Tehran announced on Tuesday, January 2, that 450 individuals have been arrested in the past three days. This official also stated that the responsibility for the detention of the protesters lies with the judiciary, which has 'definitely' considered measures to prevent a repeat of the Kahrizak detention center incident of 2009. Ali Asghar Nasirbakht, the political and security deputy of the Tehran Governor's Office, reported to ILNA news agency that 'about 200 people were arrested on Saturday, 150 on Sunday, and around 100 on Monday.' This announcement comes as security and judicial officials of the Islamic Republic had previously reported that the number of those arrested during recent protests in several cities had exceeded 400 by Sunday. Now, the governor's office claims that over 400 have been arrested just in Tehran. Given the ongoing protests in Iran on Monday night, it is expected that the number of detainees has increased. In this context, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported on Monday that 'a large number' of recent detainees have been transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran and Rajai Shahr in Karaj. Meanwhile, the number of casualties from the protests has reportedly reached over 20, according to domestic media. On Monday night alone, at least 9 individuals lost their lives during the unrest, all from Isfahan province. The Deputy Governor of Tehran reiterated that the responsibility for the detention of recent protesters lies with the judiciary. He also specifically responded to a question about avoiding a repeat of the Kahrizak incident, stating that judiciary officials have 'definitely' thought about this and have made arrangements 'to prevent unpleasant events from the past.' He did not specify the nature of these arrangements. Mohsen Rouh-al-Amini and many other protesters against the results of the 2009 presidential election were transferred to Kahrizak detention center, which was reported to have very poor conditions. According to official reports from the Iranian government, at least three others, in addition to Mohsen Rouh-al-Amini, were killed in this detention center. Earlier last month, the lawyer for Mohsen Rouh-al-Amini's family reported that Saeed Mortazavi, the then-prosecutor of Tehran, was sentenced to two years in prison for complicity in the murder that occurred in this detention center.