Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Iran arrests dozens of youths in north-west province

Iran Focus: a pro-MEK website
More than a hundred people have been arrested in the province of north-western province of Ardebil for “disturbing the peace” and “causing trouble, Iran’s state-run press reported on Monday. READ MORE

Barat Aramesh, a State Security Forces (SSF) commander in the province, was quoted as saying that 87 individuals among those arrested would be tried by a special court set-up as part of the “Plan to Combat Trouble-makers”.

One media report said that Iran’s judiciary, SSF, Revolutionary Guards, the Bassij force, and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security - the notorious secret police – had been coordinating their efforts to step up arrests of “trouble-makers”.

Iranian officials often refer to millions of unemployed young men, who are largely beset by frustration and despair, as “trouble-makers”.