Tehran's Special Patrols by the IRGC to Prevent Theft and Combat Thugs

The commander of the IRGC in Tehran province emphasized that "social earthquakes" are occurring in Tehran and announced that this organization will soon launch "special patrols" to "prevent theft" and combat "thugs." According to Fars News Agency, Mohammad Reza Yazdi stated on Sunday, December 10, during a Tehran City Council meeting that the IRGC has identified "23 social harms." He stressed that addiction is "rampant" in Tehran and that "other social earthquakes" are happening in the city. Yazdi also mentioned that "several special patrol plans in Tehran" will be implemented to "prevent theft" and combat "thugs." His statements come at a time when issues like dealing with theft and other crimes fall under the responsibilities of the police force. Journalist Farnoush Amirshahi in Prague told Radio Farda, "The form of action by the IRGC and the parallel work of this military institution with the responsible agencies, by forming special patrols under the guise of addressing social harms, has raised concerns that such an action is a prelude to securitizing society, creating more restrictions, and confronting critics and dissenters, especially since the performance of the IRGC and Basij forces over the past four decades in social issues and individual and public freedoms has been repressive and violent." The journalist added, "In the IRGC's plan, which is being implemented in several provinces besides Tehran, one of the stated goals of these special patrols will be to confront what is referred to as thugs. However, there is no definition of who these individuals are. Additionally, during the events following the 2009 presidential election, many protesters against the election results were arrested and detained under the label of thugs." In his opinion, such a history of the IRGC and Basij strengthens the suspicion of pursuing secondary objectives in addressing social harms. Meanwhile, according to Fars News Agency, the commander of the IRGC in Tehran stated that one cannot solely expect the police to deal with "thugs" and that "everyone must interact and cooperate to address this issue together." He also asked members of the Tehran City Council not to criticize the IRGC publicly and to express their criticisms privately. In this context, ISNA reported that at the end of Yazdi's remarks, Mohsen Hashemi, the head of the Tehran City Council, did not allow council members to express their views on the IRGC commander's statements. The social harms referred to in Iran mainly include addiction, poverty, urban marginalization, school dropout, divorce, and rising crime rates. Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Minister of Interior, mentioned on October 1 that a meeting was held with the Supreme Leader regarding social harms last year, stating that a "satisfactory report" had been prepared about the actions taken and that "there is still a long way to go." He also noted that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had stated in a meeting that the Islamic Republic is "20 years behind" in reducing and addressing social harms. The Minister of Interior also reported that the Supreme Leader had outlined priorities for reducing social harms. According to Rahmani Fazli, the priorities set by the Supreme Leader include "combating drugs and addressing addiction issues, urban marginalization, divorce, combating delinquency, and issues related to specific and critical cases." While the commander of the IRGC in Tehran announced that the goal of these patrols is to "prevent theft" and combat "thugs," reports indicate that previous plans under this name were aimed at preparing for potential street protests. For instance, Mustafa Ahmadinejad, the former commander of the police force, admitted in an interview that this force had conducted plans under the name of combating "thugs" and "calm and security" a year before the 2009 presidential election to prepare for potential protests. He stated, "In operational terms, our duty was to be adequately prepared to deter. We conducted calm and security exercises throughout the country and in Tehran. Ramadanzadeh (a member of the Participation Front) used to say in their circles that they wanted to scare us more than criminals and thugs. I remember one Friday we held a calm and security exercise in the street, and we wanted to show our strength. Even Mr. Ahmadinejad complained to me about why we were creating a security atmosphere. I said it was necessary. Rest assured, the elections will undoubtedly be challenging." About a month before the statements of the IRGC commander in Tehran, Gholamhossein Ghaibparvar, the head of the Basij Organization, stated on November 24 in a press conference that "we intend to reduce checkpoints and convert them into neighborhood patrols." He added that these patrols would not be armed, "would not invade individuals' privacy, and would only be responsible for ensuring security." Since the 1979 Revolution, Basij forces have established checkpoints in the streets of Iranian cities, inspecting passersby and passing vehicles. Although the number of these patrols decreased in the 1990s, various plans regarding checkpoints and Basij patrols were implemented in the 2000s, and in 2008, Basij patrols began operating nationwide. A year after the establishment of these patrols, the Basij had a significant presence in dealing with protesters against the 2009 presidential election. Meanwhile, the Etemad newspaper in its November 25 issue compared the formation of Basij neighborhood patrols to the activities of the Revolutionary Committees in the early years of the 1979 Revolution and the 1980s. The Revolutionary Committees in the 1980s dealt with issues such as the distribution of music tapes, video films, home celebrations, and similar matters, which were referred to as "immoralities." Committee members also played an active role in confronting political opponents of the Islamic Republic.