At least 300 Dervish Gonabadi protesters were arrested on February 19, after IRGC Basij and plainclothes agents with anti-riot vehicles attacked the protesters and used tear gas. Detained Gonabadi women are transferred to Tehran’s Evin Prison.
The state-run Tasnim news agency on February 20, cited the State Security Force spokesman confirming the arrest of the 300 protesters.
Amateur videos disseminated on social media shows a number of protesters severely injured by anti-riot units using pellet guns. Reports indicate many injured Dervish Gonabadi protesters have been arrested in hospitals by intelligence agents.
Dervish Gonabadi community members protested the detention of Nematollah Riahi a Nematollahi Gonabadi dervish who was arrested by security forces yesterday morning and demanded his unconditional release.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, NCRI has condemned the attack on protesters and mass arbitrary arrests, calling the Secretary-General and the United Nations Security Council and the member states, the European Union and its member countries, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Human Rights Council as well as other international human rights organizations to take urgent action for the release of last night detainees and all prisoners of uprising.
