Security Forces Use Violence to Disperse Peaceful Protest

Security forces used violence and heavy-handed tactics to break up a peaceful demonstration outside Tehran’s Revolutionary Court on February 25.

Around 1000 followers of the Interuniversalism (Erfan Halqeh) spiritual movement gathered peacefully outside the Revolutionary Court to show their support for their leader, who was due to face trial that day on charges of “spreading corruption on earth.”

Several supporters told Haqeh News, which is affiliated with the Interuniversalism movement, that they wanted to ensure their spiritual leader, Mohammadali Taheri, was in good health and given a “just trial”. But, according to the protesters, anti-riot police physically attacked several in the group and arrested others.

“This was the first time in the last four years that the news of Taheri’s trial was extensively covered by the government media,” said Hageh News. It also reported that although Taheri’s family and lawyer had been told Taheri would face trial on February 25, court proceedings did not go ahead.

Tasnim News Agency, which has ties to Iran’s security services, said the trial had been postponed after a request from Taheri’s lawyer, Mahmud Alizadeh Tabatabai. He told the agency that, after the trial began without the accused being present, he appealed to the judge for a moratorium.

A delay in the hearing has led to renewed concern about Taheri’s health. The prisoner has been on hunger strike for two months and his condition is thought to be deteriorating. The news outlet also reported that Taheri had been moved from Tehran’s Evin Prison to an unknown location in December.

Previously, on February 8, told Tasnim News that his client had been charged with blasphemy, and that he had been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. “In addition,” he said, “the court considered the money Taheri acquired for tuition fees to be equivalent to earning money through illegal means. It condemned him to pay a fine of 900 million Tomans ($270, 000).” According to the lawyer, judicial authorities also charged Taheri with interfering in medical affairs, for which he was given a further fine of seven million Tomans ($2000). Although the Court of Appeal finalized the verdict of five years’ imprisonment, the public prosecutor had launched a “further investigation” into the charges of spreading corruption. The ruling on this charge was due to be handed down on February 25 but the case did not make it to the court.

“Mr. Taheri has explicitly stated his religious principles and has accepted the fact that he had held some wrong notions in the past,” Tabatabai said. “We hope to be able to exonerate him of this second charge, or at least that the court will accept the initial verdict of a five-year prison sentence.” There has been no further information about the extended charges or additional punishments. 

On February 5, the Revolutionary Court also handed down prison sentences to 16 of Taheri's followers. 

Read the original article in Persian