Iran: 30 arrested for attending Yoga class

Iran: 30 arrested for attending Yoga class

Authorities in Iran arrested 30 people as they took part in a yoga class

Analysis by PMOI/MEK

Iran, May 26, 2019 - Sources inside Iran have cited a statement by a judiciary official in the northern province of Golestan saying that the repressive state security forces have arrested 30 men and women for participating in a mixed-gender yoga class.

The statement carried out by Tasnim news agency, affiliated to the terrorist-designatedRevolutionary Guards (IRGC) Quds Force, says an unnamed individual published an ad in his Instagram account setting up a yoga training class for men and women at his own residence. The statement continues to say a number of men and women found this interesting and communicated with the aforesaid individual.

The statement went on to say, “The person did not have a license to operate yoga classes in residential premises in the province of Golestan.”

“Men and women took part in this class in his private home wearing inappropriate clothes and behaving in abnormal manners!” according to the misogynist regime’s judiciary statement. 

There was no word from this extremist and fanatical judiciary to explain what they meant by this so-called “abnormal manners” accusation. However, the judiciary did say that charges have been filed against the yoga instructor and the 30 individuals attending his class.

The legal deputy of Golestan province’s judiciary branch insisted that there should be more detailed monitoring and control of the internet, and especially social media platforms, to, as he put it, “catch lawbreaking misusers and punish them for their crimes.”

Earlier this month, the clerical regime’s judiciary announced that an unspecified number of people have been arrested for working in “un-Islamic” online modeling networks.

The state-run Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday, May 1, that the arrests took place in Iran’s Markazi (Central) Province. The report did not elaborate on the number of detainees, other than to say they had been handed over to the Iranian regime’s judiciary.

Mohsen Karimi, an IRGC commander in the central city of Arak, said staff at the agencies had been arrested for “promoting vulgarity,” partly through sharing portfolio pictures of models on social media.

Also, another 25 men and women were arrested in a night party in Gorgan Province. In the city of Sari, northern Iran, another 20 teenage boys, and girls were arrested for taking part in another night party. And the list goes on and on.