The Rise of Self-Harm for Compensation Claims

The newspaper Arman has reported on the "rise of self-harm for compensation claims" and quoted the head of the forensic medical organization stating: "Some people stage incidents under various pretexts to receive compensation, with the majority of these incidents related to staged accidents or self-harm." Ahmad Shojaei, the head of the forensic medical organization, mentioned that the statistics in this regard have increased compared to last year. Self-harm exists in all provinces and is not specific to any particular province. The statistics from the forensic medical organization pertain to individuals whose injuries are determined to be intentional during examinations conducted by the organization's doctors, and these individuals are included in the reported figures. Therefore, it cannot be said that the reported statistics are accurate, as the actual number is likely higher. According to Ahmad Shojaei, "When an injured person visits the forensic medical organization, they are thoroughly examined by experts, and if the experts determine that their injury was fabricated, it is reported to the insurance as well." The Arman newspaper quoted the head of the forensic medical organization stating that the majority of those who self-harm are men; individuals who numb their limbs using sprays or anesthetic injections and then proceed to break their bones to receive compensation. Abdolsamad Khorramshahi, a lawyer and legal expert, told the newspaper: "In Islamic penal law, there is no criminal title for self-harm, just as suicide is not a crime; however, there is an exception in Article 51 of the Armed Forces Penal Code stating that if an individual harms themselves for various motives to gain an advantage, they can be punished. For example, a person may strike themselves intending to obtain an exemption or compensation, but generally, there is no such criminal title in Islamic penal law." The Iran newspaper, close to the government, emphasized on its front page that "public opinion is waiting for action against the self-styled individuals." Ehsan Badaghi reported in this newspaper about the activities of self-styled groups: "Neither truth-finding committees, special working groups, nor anything else has limited the activities of so-called 'self-styled' forces in Iran after two decades. These self-styled individuals do not care who they confront; whether it is the legally elected president of the country or a simple writer and journalist. They seek to be the winners in the power game. From disrupting concerts and ordinary speeches to overshadowing national and religious ceremonies, there is a trace of their destructive efforts." The Iran newspaper recalled the attack on Ali Larijani during the February 22, 2014 ceremony in Qom and the slogans against Hassan Rouhani during the "Quds Day" ceremony in Tehran, mentioning the formation of a parliamentary committee in 2012 to identify the perpetrators and instigators of the attack on the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stating: "Four years ago, despite the statements of the members of the truth-finding committee regarding the February 22 ceremony in Qom, the roots of self-styled actions were not discovered or eradicated," and "the experience of the committee four years ago and the ineffectiveness of their work may not bode well for such follow-ups. Because whoever conducts the first half of the investigations, the second half will be completed by the judiciary." The Shargh newspaper, in its front page, stated that "only legal action" is emphasized by reformists regarding "dealing with those who insult the president within the framework of law and citizens' rights." Emadeddin Baghi, in a note in this newspaper, referred to the concerns expressed by some factions of the principlist camp following the summons of two suspects related to verbal attacks on Hassan Rouhani during the recent rally, writing: "Even if we compare the summons of Talebi and the treatment he received with the summons of the admins of Telegram channels, it indicates discrimination. These admins have been in temporary detention for months, and there is no news about them; thus, what the principlist faction has initiated is not out of love for Ali but does not stem from a commitment to law or humanity and justice. That is to say, if we think these reactions are due to a lack of commitment to the law, no! Rather, their concern is of a sectarian nature; otherwise, they would have reacted similarly to the detention of these admins or other similar cases." The columnist of the Shargh newspaper emphasized that "the principlist faction not only remained completely silent in the face of these cases but even supported the imprisonment of individuals," writing: "The question of why they have never been affected or their feelings have never been hurt in the face of the trial and punishment of many individuals who have made much milder statements or actions is a big question, and this discriminatory behavior and their indifference in other cases is a source of violence that does not lead society towards a good future." The Arman newspaper also published a narrative of "three decades of self-styled group activities" from the role of Saeed Imam in the chain murders to the assassination of Saeed Hajarian by Saeed Askar and enumerating some actions of pressure groups, emphasizing that these groups are "obedient self-styled individuals." The Javan newspaper, close to the Revolutionary Guards, in a note titled "God forbid from silencing critics," accused Hassan Rouhani and his government, as well as government-friendly newspapers and the reformist faction, of suppressing critics and implicitly threatened that "if these days, the government officials and their supporters, intoxicated by the victory, continue to drive critics out of the field, they should know that if they do not have an ear to hear constructive criticism, they should expect to hear protests from the suffering and tormented, which may not necessarily take conventional forms." Mohammad Javad Akhavan wrote in this newspaper that "in recent days, a wave has arisen, which is primarily centered around the executive managers of the eleventh government, and while launching heavy and sometimes insulting attacks against the Eid al-Fitr preacher, they demanded an apology and action against the preacher and the organizers of the ceremony," while the text recited by Meysam Motiei, the preacher of the Eid al-Fitr prayer in Tehran, "shows that the main confrontational tone of the poet is directed at the oppressive system and its allied currents, including Zionists, Al Saud, and Takfiri terrorists, and only in part of the poetry is there a kind of complaint, albeit respectfully, addressed to the executive officials." Kayhan also wrote on its front page addressing Hassan Rouhani: "An empty record of action and deeds cannot be filled by silencing critics." This newspaper, referring to the summons of two members of the Fars News Agency related to their role in the verbal attacks on Hassan Rouhani during the "Quds Day" ceremony, stated: "Despite the fact that the president had previously stated during the election campaign that we should not silence mouths and break pens, in recent days, for various reasons, critics of the government have either been sued or arrested and sent to prison." Hossein Shariatmadari, representative of the Supreme Leader in Kayhan, accused Hassan Rouhani of resembling Mohammad Hosseini Beheshti, one of the founders of the Islamic Republic, criticized him, and concluded his writing: "Some existing evidence suggests that the same outlook and behavior of the eleventh government will continue in the twelfth government as well," but "from the respected president, it is expected that he does not pursue the path taken in the eleventh government, which, as acknowledged by some of his close allies, has not yielded significant results, as testing the tested is a mistake." Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari, Minister of Interior during Mohammad Khatami's presidency, however, assessed the "recent movements against Rouhani" as "a confrontation against the people's vote" and told the Etemad newspaper: "The scene seen on Quds Day was a kind of blind rebellion against the people's vote and an insult to the nation. The country's managers, especially the judicial authorities, must respond appropriately to this norm-breaking behavior," as "the behavior of these elements was completely organized and engineered. They were not self-styled individuals who entered the scene, and serious action must be taken against these organizations and elements." The Etemad newspaper reported, quoting the head of the Iranian Demographic Association, that "it is predicted that in the generation born around 1981, the percentage of those who do not marry will increase to about 15 percent." Mohammad Jalal Abbasi Shavazi stated: "Based on a recent study we conducted, the percentage of childless individuals in the past was about 4 percent, of which 3 percent was due to natural infertility and 1 percent related to unmarried individuals; however, in recent years, the share of those who have never married has increased to about 6 percent, and the share of natural infertility has also reached 4 percent." According to the head of the Iranian Demographic Association, "Currently, about 10 percent of women from the 1971 generation who have completed their childbearing are childless, among whom the increasing trend of unmarried individuals is significant, and it is predicted that in the generation born around 1981, the percentage of those who do not marry will increase to about 15 percent." The Etemad newspaper quoted the head of the Iranian Demographic Association stating that "there is some exaggeration regarding the prevalence of infertility in the country, which is incorrect and unprofessional; however, the increasing trend of unmarried individuals must be taken seriously, which needs to be considered in population policies, especially regarding sustainable employment," adding that "at this point in time, we do not need hasty population policies, and it is necessary to first utilize the enormous potential of the youth who are sufficiently present and to note that there is a desire for childbearing among the youth." The Jahan Sanat newspaper has a report about the fact that "the perpetrator of the acid attacks in Isfahan has not yet been identified," and now, with the visit of one of the victims of those acid attacks in 2015 in Isfahan, "the last chance for the return of vision for Soheila Joraksh" has been highlighted. This newspaper recalled that "after nearly three years, no one has been arrested or introduced to the public as the perpetrator of acid attacks in Iran," and "this tragedy is a type of crime that truly destroys the life of an individual who experiences such a painful event." Soheila Joraksh, one of the victims of the serial acid attacks against women in Isfahan, told this newspaper: "On Friday morning, Tehran time, this operation is performed on my eye in Boston, USA, and because my chances of vision for other operations were low or that some operations had no chance of restoring vision, Dr. Chadoust decided to perform a surgery on my eye that is being done for the first time in the world." Jahan Sanat quoted her as saying: "There is no hope for the return of vision in my right eye, and this operation is the last chance I have to regain vision in my left eye."