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150 Arrested at Mixed-Gender Party in Iran

150 Arrested at Mixed-Gender Party in Iran

by Zachary Lucas
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran — Authorities in Iran have arrested over 150 young men and women at a mixed-gender birthday party in Tehran. Police vow to keep a close watch on locations where such illegal parties might take place as they step up enforcement over the summer.

Iranian Laws Requires Women to Wear Traditional Islamic Garb (Photo Courtesy of Daily Mail)

After receiving a tip-off from local residents in Tehran, police raided a garden next to an illegal music recording studio. The Iranian police arrested over 150 young men and women that were at the party. Since the arrests were made, Iranian officials have not stated whether those arrested are still in custody or will have charges brought against them.

Authorities commented that some of the women were “half-naked” or not wearing the traditional Islamic garb that is required under Iranian law. They also said that people at the party were “mingling.” Following the incident, Iranian police said they will continue to closely monitor locations, such as gardens, that might host such gatherings. Before the summer started, about 7,000 plain-clothes officers were hired to help crackdown these type of gatherings and other examples of “immorality.”

Mixed-gender parties are illegal in Iran. Penalties for violating theses “morality” laws could potentially be lashes or prison time. Iranian laws also bans women from wearing anything other than the traditional Islamic garb which, under Iranian law, means headscarves and long coats. Iranian law also bans the possession and consumption of alcohol.

Iranian authorities’ crackdown on “immorality” has risen over the past few months as social attitude towards these laws has worsened, especially among younger Iranians who see it as an invasion of privacy. In Qazvin province, 35 students were detained and flogged following a similar party. Recently in May, 70 students at a mixed gender party were detained and flogged.

The “morality” police, as they are sometimes called, also enforce other violations such as loose-fitting headscarves, tight overcoats, and “glamorous” hairstyles for men. Authorities are also removing illegal satellite dishes on houses. The police are also known to stop people from walking their dogs.

These laws were introduced after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ousted the pro-western government. President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate, has opposed these type of crackdowns and argued for more social freedom among Iranians. The police and judiciary, however, act independent of his authority and answer to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran. The Supreme Leader in Iran holds more power and authority than the President. Despite this, many have argued President Rouhani should do more to enhance freedoms.

For more information, please see:

Daily Mail — Iranian police arrest 150 boys and girls for attending birthday party in latest raid to crack down on youngsters attending mixed-gender events — 25 July 2016

Guardian — Up to 150 men and women detained at party in Iran — 26 July 2016

Middle East Eye — 150 people arrested at mixed-gender party in Tehran — 28 July 2016

NBC News — Iran Arrests 150 People at Mixed-Gender Party: Report — 27 July 2016

Syrian Network for Human Rights: The Killing of 1557 Civilians in July 2016
Including 1008 Civilians at the Hands of the Syrian and Russian regimes
I. Introduction
The report includes only the death toll of civilians that were killed by the main six influential parties in Syria:
– Government forces (Army, Security, local militias, Shiite foreign militias)
– Russian forces
– Self-management forces (consisting primarily of the Democratic Union Party forces, a branch for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party)
– Extremist Islamic groups
– Armed opposition factions
– International coalition forces
– Unidentified groups
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TIME: Heinrich Himmler’s Lost Diaries Reveal Everyday Horrors of the Holocaust

Henrich Himmler poses in Germany in 1945.
Keystone-France—Gamma-Keystone/Getty ImagesHenrich Himmler poses in Germany in 1945.

Extracts published from Heinrich Himmler’s gruesome diaries

Extracts from Heinrich Himmler‘s newly-discovered diaries have revealed the grisly everyday routine of the mastermind of the Holocaust in the depths of World War 2.

The diaries were thought to have been lost after they were seized by the Red Army, The London Timesreports. They document the horrific activities of the Nazi head of the SS, responsible for the systematic murder of millions of Jews in the Holocaust, as he went about his daily business.

The documents include details such as Himmler ordering the murder of thousands following a massage from his doctor and nearly fainting when he was splattered with the brains of a Jewish victim killed in a mass shooting near Minsk, are documented, MailOnline reports.

Himmler’s diaries were discovered in the archive of the Russian ministry of defence in Podolsk near Moscow earlier this year, where they had remained for seven decades. Extracts from the service diaries – which were written in 1938, 1943 and 1943 and contain more than one thousand pages – have been published for the first time in the German newspaperBild as part of a serialization.

The discovery of the diaries come two years after photographs, love letters and even a recipe book belonging to Himmler were found in Israel.

[London Times]

Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect: R2P in Focus, UN Secretary-General’s 8th Report on R2P

R2P in Focus, No. 4

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R2P in Focus

R2P in Focus is a monthly publication from the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect designed to highlight recent events and political developments concerning the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

UN Secretary-General’s 8th Report on R2P 

UN Photo/Mark Garten

On 25 July the UN Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, released an advanced copy of his annual report on the Responsibility to Protect entitled: Mobilizing collective action: The next decade of the responsibility to protect. The report highlights the undeniable progress made by the international community in upholding R2P, but argues that protecting populations remains dependent upon the willingness of member states to live up to the commitment made in 2005.

In particular, the Secretary-General notes that with 65 million civilians displaced by conflict, persecution and atrocities, “it is now up to Member States of the United Nations, in cooperation with other international actors, to take the principled and practical steps necessary to arrest the erosion of respect for norms of protection and put an end to serious violations of international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law.”

The Secretary-General addresses the need for enhanced information sharing and a more successful translation of R2P principles into concrete support for structural and proximate prevention. The Secretary-General also calls upon UN member states to prioritize the protection of vulnerable populations by adhering to a Security Council Code of Conduct for mass atrocity situations. Additionally, the report highlights how member states have reinforced their institutional capacity for atrocity prevention, including through global and regional networks, such as the Global Network of R2P Focal Points.

This is the eighth and final report on the Responsibility to Protect issued by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The first annual report was released in 2009 and established R2P’s three pillars. Subsequent reports have focused on various areas, including the role of regional arrangements, timely and decisive response to mass atrocities, state responsibility and prevention, international assistance and early warning. Last year’s report observed the 10th anniversary of the adoption of R2P by taking stock of the progress made in implementation while highlighting key priorities for the next decade. For more information on the previous reports of the Secretary-General, please see our website.

Next UN Secretary-General 

On 12 July the President of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Mogens Lykketoft, hosted a “Global Town Hall with UN Secretary-General Candidates.” The event, broadcast live by Al Jazeera, was a chance for the candidates to interact with UN member states and civil society. The Global Centre was invited to attend the historic debate.

The following day, the Ralphe Bunche Institute of International Studies co-hosted a debate with Global Citizen and the United Nations Association-UK at the CUNY Graduate Center for three of the UN Secretary-General candidates. During the debate, the Global Centre’s Executive Director, Dr. Simon Adams, asked the candidates how they would uphold R2P if they were chosen for the position. 

On 21 July the UN Security Council held its first round of “straw polls” to signal the level of support for candidates to become the next Secretary-General. The next round of straw polls is expected to take place on 5 August. To date, the Global Centre has met with 11 of the 12 candidates to discuss R2P and ensure the next UN Secretary-General will prioritize mass atrocity prevention throughout their term. Additionally, the Global Centre jointly released a “Human Rights Agenda for the next UN Secretary-General” with our colleagues at Amnesty International, CIVICUS, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights and the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy.

Any Other Business

  • Statement by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide on the situation in South Sudan. On 11 July the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Mr. Adama Dieng, released a statement on the deteriorating situation in South Sudan. Mr. Dieng called for all parties to de-escalate the situation or “South Sudan could be plunged back into civil war, at unimaginable human cost.” View the full statementhere. For more background on the situation in Juba, please see our website.
  • Joint NGO letter to the UN Security Council regarding an arms embargo for South Sudan. On 21 July the Global Centre joined 29 other organizations in urging the UN Security Council to impose an immediate arms embargo on South Sudan following the outbreak of violence in Juba. View the letter here.

Calendar Highlights

19 August 2016

World Humanitarian Day

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