Tehran Prosecutor: Interrogation of the Driver of the Samand Car Who Injured a Basij Member

The Tehran prosecutor announced the interrogation of the driver of a Samand car who, according to him, injured several individuals, including 'most likely' a Basij member during a clash between Gonabadi Dervishes and security forces. According to the news agency Mizan, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi stated on Friday, March 2, that the drivers of two cars, a Samand and a Pride, who were present at the clash in Pasdaran Street, have been arrested. Mr. Jafari Dolatabadi mentioned that the driver of the Samand 'admitted that he injured individuals, including most likely Omid Khosravi, a member of the Basij, with the vehicle.' The Tehran prosecutor did not mention the arrest of the driver of the Pride car. Omid Khosravi, one of the Basij forces present during the clash with the Dervishes in Pasdaran Street, had gone into a coma and was taken out of it after nine days. In videos released from the clashes between Gonabadi Dervishes and security forces on the evening of Tuesday, February 20, a light vehicle attacks security personnel, and a bus also runs over several officers. Judiciary officials have announced that an indictment of 'intentional murder' has been issued against the driver of this bus, who allegedly ran over three police officers. According to Islamic Republic officials, one Basij member was also killed in these clashes. The Tehran prosecutor's emphasis on punishing the arrested Gonabadi Dervishes comes as a protest gathering of Gonabadi Dervishes around the house of Noor Ali Tabandeh, the leader of this sect, on Tuesday, February 20, turned violent due to the intervention of security forces and motorcyclists in plain clothes. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Defenders Center, chaired by Shirin Ebadi, reported in its February report on human rights violations in Iran that 'the source of many unfortunate incidents in street protests is the presence and intervention of Basij forces at the scene of the incident.' Reports have also emerged about the deaths of three detained Dervishes in the hospital, and Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesperson for the judiciary, confirmed the death of one Dervish in the hospital. Farhad Noori, a rights activist for Gonabadi Dervishes, had previously reported that 500 Gonabadi Dervishes have been arrested. Meanwhile, the Majzooban Noor website reported that Pouria Noori, one of the detained Dervishes, required surgery due to 'fractured cheekbone and jaw and several teeth' and had been released on bail on Thursday but was re-arrested by security forces at his home. According to this website, Mr. Noori stated in a phone call with his relatives after his re-arrest that 'his bail amount had increased from 25 million tomans to 125 million tomans and he had been transferred from Evin to Fashafouyeh prison.' Noor Ali Tabandeh, the leader of the Gonabadi Dervishes, has called on his followers to remain calm. However, attacks from some Shia clerics and close associates of the Supreme Leader against the Dervishes continue. Meanwhile, Ahmad Khatami, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran, referred to the Dervishes involved in the clashes with security personnel as 'domestic Daesh' and 'criminals,' stating that they 'deserve the harshest punishment.' Naser Makarem Shirazi and Hossein Noori Hamedani, two Shia clerics, also referred to this group as 'false mysticism,' 'false and deviant,' and compared them to Daesh on Saturday, February 24. Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, also labeled the Dervishes as 'spies of the enemy' and considered the clashes between this group and law enforcement as 'planned by America and England,' an accusation typically made by Islamic Republic officials against all opposition groups without providing evidence. The Gonabadi Dervishes' gathering on Tuesday, February 20, initially began in front of Police Station 102 in northern Tehran in protest against the arrest of one of the Dervishes named Nematollah Riahi. About two weeks prior, the Gonabadi Dervishes had gathered after reports emerged about the establishment of a checkpoint near Noor Ali Tabandeh's house, which also turned violent due to the intervention of security forces. The actions of the Islamic Republic against this group intensified in 2005, when widespread destruction of Gonabadi Dervish houses of worship began in various cities across Iran, followed by the arrest of many Dervishes. The Human Rights Defenders Center stated in an open letter to the UN Secretary-General in 2014 that Gonabadi Dervishes have faced 'continuous harassment such as imprisonment, deprivation of social rights, threats...' for over 15 years.