Hunger strike by dervishes in Iran provokes protests
Two hundred dervishes were arrested and then released for protesting against the continued imprisonment of dervishes who are on hunger strike in Iran.
TEHRAN, Iran — Despite a more moderate government taking power in Iran, street protests organized by the opposition are still a dangerous line to tread. Still, in spite of this, the Gonoabadi dervishes — followers of a branch of Sufi Shiism — organized the largest public gathering of the year in Tehran.
Majzooban Noor, the news website of the Iranian dervishes, reported that over 2,000 dervishes had gathered in front of Tehran's main judicial court on Mar. 8, 2014. The protesters included the families of imprisoned dervishes and a few well-known human rights activists. This rather significant protest is related to the hunger strike of nine imprisoned dervishes.
The first day of the protests proceeded peacefully. Tehran's police commissioner, Commander Sajedi, promised that protester demands would be considered. The protesters then gave an ultimatum: Unless their demands were satisfied by the next morning, they would renew their protests. The following day, the protests did not go as peacefully. Based on eyewitness reports to Al-Monitor, police and security forces fired warning shots to disperse the protesters, and the Special Police Force also harried them, arresting around 200.
Sedigheh Khalili, the wife of imprisoned dervish Hamidreza Moradi, was present at the protest and told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that substantial violence was used against women, claiming that she was kicked to the point where she could barely walk.
