HRANA News Agency – On 25 February 2015, following the announcement of the hearing session for Mohammad Ali Taheri, hundreds of Erfane Halgheh followers (Interuniversalism Mysticism) protested in his support in front of Islamic Revolutionary Court. This protest was intervened by Police and plain cloths security forces that attacked protestors and arrested several complaining citizens.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), following the announcement of the hearing session for Mohammad Ali Taheri, hundreds of citizens and Erfane Halgheh followers (Interuniversalism Mysticism) gathered from 9:00 am to 11:00 am in his support in front of Islamic Revolutionary Court. Protestors had pictures and hand written signs in support of Mr Taheri but this peaceful protest turned into violence as it were intervened by Police and plain cloths security forces on the same location.
A well informed source told HRANA reporter: “security forces used tear gas to disperse the crowd and attacked protestors with batons, punched, kicked them and many were also arrested.”
This source also added: “the sheer number of protestors resulted in the shops, Etka store and the petrol station to be shut down by police on the location. After two hours and when police did not manage to disperse the crowd they brought in special units and used their help to force the protestors to the surrounding alleys.”
Another protestor told HRANA reporter: “after the police attacked protestors, there was violence around. A woman who was trying to stop police taking her child away was pushed to the ground by police and her head hit the curb. In another situation police started to kick a lady who fell on the floor viciously on her legs.”
A well informed source told HRANA’s reporter: “this morning Ziba Mohamadian the wife of Mr Taheri, his brother and Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai the lawyer of Mr Taheri attended the branch 26 of Islamic Revolutionary Court but before noon they were told that the hearing has been postponed to another time. It is said that most of the detainees have been released by this afternoon.”
It is important to mention that according to the media’s close to security forces, Mr Taheri has recently been sentenced to 6 year imprisonment. Back in 2011, Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced Mohammad Ali Taheri to 5 years imprisonment, paying fine and 72 lashes based on the charge of touching female patients and interfering in the Medicine and blasphemy. Mr Taheri has been arrested several times and the last time was on 4 May 2011.
It has been many years since Iranian Islamic government fighting and confronting religion and mysticisms with contrary views to their Islamic traditional believes and many leaders and founders of such religions and mysticisms have been prosecuted.
In the Islamic Republic of Iran, these religions and mysticisms are called “Newly emerged sect” or “False Mysticism”.
