Tehran Municipality is one of the institutions recognized by the capital's residents as having 'thug-like enforcers' for street control. The municipality's harsh approach is not limited to street control; as reported by the daily Ham-Mihan, the Tehran Municipality has intensified pressure to vacate properties held by NGOs without regard for the consequences. Ham-Mihan writes that the current city managers oppose the transfer of properties that were previously granted to NGOs for their activities. The newspaper emphasizes that recently, eviction notices for 'Nasir Khosrow Children's House' and 'Cheetah Association' were made public, but investigations by Ham-Mihan indicate that since Alireza Zakani took office as Tehran's mayor, pressures on NGOs and the properties they manage have increased. The report highlights that eviction orders for some buildings have been issued due to the buildings being deemed hazardous, and in one case, the duration of time the property has been 'occupied' has even been requested. Ham-Mihan states that according to the law, Tehran Municipality can allocate part of its properties to organizations. This rule was previously overseen by a commission established to ensure its proper implementation. Ali Pirhosseini, the secretary of this commission, in his last official statement in 2021, before Alireza Zakani and his new team took office, emphasized that over a thousand properties had been discovered that were allocated during the previous municipal management, and only a few of them followed legal procedures. Alireza Zakani announced in November 2022 that several properties allocated to 'specific individuals' during previous municipal administrations had been reclaimed, stating, 'It does not matter to us who resides in these houses.' The recent sealing of the House of Human Sciences by Tehran Municipality represents the latest confrontation between the government and intellectual thought. The Municipality of Mashhad has been described as 'following the Taliban' as outdoor spaces of restaurants and cafes have been banned. There has been widespread user backlash against the headline and photo from Tehran Municipality's organ, deemed shameful. Reactions to the eviction of the 'House of Human Sciences' indicate an effort for 'complete purification.'
Tehran Municipality Continues to Reclaim Buildings from NGOs
Tehran Municipality is intensifying efforts to reclaim properties from NGOs, citing safety concerns and previous mismanagement. The current mayor, Alireza Zakani, has publicly stated that it does not matter who occupies these properties. This situation raises concerns about the government's approach to civil society and intellectual discourse.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Tehran Municipality has intensified efforts to reclaim properties from NGOs, issuing eviction notices to organizations like the Nasir Khosrow Children's House and Cheetah Association. This move is part of a broader crackdown on civil society under Mayor Alireza Zakani.
- Eviction notices have been issued for multiple NGOs due to safety concerns and previous mismanagement.
- Mayor Zakani has stated that the identity of the occupants does not matter in the reclamation process.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
In recent years, the Iranian government has increasingly restricted civil society organizations, viewing them as potential threats to its authority. The current administration under Zakani has intensified these efforts.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%