The Endless Hostility of the Islamic Republic Towards People's Joy; Uncertain Status of 12 Detainees in Rasht

One day after the arrest of 12 individuals and the seizure of several Instagram pages for posting images of joy among young and middle-aged people in Rasht by the 'Security Police', no news has been released about their status. According to the latest statement from Hossein Hassanpour, the deputy commander of the Gilan police, on Tuesday, December 14, to the 'Young Journalists Club' affiliated with the Islamic Republic's state media, these individuals were arrested following the 'publication of images of dancing and revelry in public spaces, Rasht market, and the city's cultural pedestrian walkway.' This police official labeled those who apparently only 'sinned' by being joyful as 'norm-breakers,' claiming that the reflection of their actions on social media and satellite networks has caused 'public decency to be offended.' This violent action by the Iranian authorities against individuals who displayed the joy of some people in the streets of Rasht has also sparked many reactions on social media. Journalist Mohsen Salehi-Khah wrote in this regard: 'Was a special operation conducted for the arrest of those involved in the conspiracy of an old man's dance in Rasht market? I am not satisfied with anything less than a helicopter drop of forces.' Meanwhile, the deputy commander of the Gilan police claimed that the arrests were made with 'technical and police measures' and after coordination with the judicial authority, with a case file 'to proceed through legal channels' submitted to the prosecutor's office. Following the nationwide protests last year after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the Islamic Republic's 'morality police' and the emergence of public protests in forms such as street opposition to compulsory hijab, the response of the Islamic Republic's institutions to street joy has intensified. The arrest of 12 individuals and the seizure of several Instagram pages for the crime of publishing dance videos in Rasht market continues the invasion of citizens' privacy; attendees at a party in Mehriz were arrested. The ongoing repression of students in Iran; attacks under the pretext of 'hijab' and the issuance of bans on education and exile. The transfer of detainees from private parties in Torqabeh to court with 'handcuffs and leg shackles.'