Eviction of 5 Prominent 'Support Centers for Vulnerable Women' by Tehran Municipality

By the eviction order of the charity institute 'Saraye Ghazal', the number of support centers for vulnerable women in Tehran that have been closed by the municipality has reached five. According to the newspaper Etemad, the eviction order for this center, which is owned by the municipality and has provided supportive, health, and medical services to vulnerable or at-risk women for years, was issued by the municipality of District 10. 'Khaneh Khorshid', an old institution supporting vulnerable and homeless addicted women, located in the 'Darvazeh Ghar' area, has also been evicted by the municipality. The 'Noor Sepid Hedayat' institute, which had previously protested against the municipality's policies multiple times, is another center that has been evicted by the municipality in the past 32 months. This institute provided accommodation and harm reduction services for vulnerable and homeless addicted women located in Shoosh Square. The 'Women’s Night Shelter', which is a residence for vulnerable and homeless addicted women in the 'Darvazeh Ghar' area, is another center that has been evicted by the municipality in recent months. Médecins Sans Frontières, an organization active in providing supportive and medical services to homeless, addicted, and vulnerable women, men, and children located in the Molavi Street area, is the fifth center providing services to vulnerable and homeless women in Tehran that will be closed between Fall 2021 and May 2024. The closure of a significant number of women's support centers may be due to protests against the Tehran municipality's plans to combat social harms and collect addicts, which is underway under the 'Social Headquarters' plan and by the order of Alireza Zakani, the mayor of Tehran. Previously, in Mordad 1401 (July 2022), coinciding with the warnings and concerns of the capital's city council about the spread of gathering places for addicted individuals in Tehran, the director of the 'Noor Sepid Hedayat' institute, which is a 24-hour harm reduction center for women, reported an attack by Tehran municipality agents on this center and the escape of beneficiaries from there. Sepideh Alizadeh on Tuesday, Mordad 3, 1401 (July 25, 2022), tweeted to Alireza Zakani, the mayor of Tehran, stating that the 'homeless addicted women' who had trusted the municipality's warm houses were left to sleep in the streets and gathering places to avoid becoming prey. She told the mayor: 'Do not attack and do not create cases for your useless Camp 16.' Alireza Zakani announced the cooperation of the Tehran municipality with the police force to implement the 'Noor Plan'. Documents of the 'dreamy' profits of the municipality's billion-toman loans to its managers have been published, and media reports of 'special privileges' in the Tehran municipality; under the name of 'mosque', benefiting friends.