Government-backed gangs of thugs step up crack-down in Iranian cities

The central Iranian city of Isfahan was the scene of an attack last Thursday by members of the government-backed "Friends of Hizbollah" gang of thugs led by the notorious terror-gang leader Haj Moslem on families spending their leisure time in the city's Aineh-Khaneh (House of Mirrors) Park. The thugs, armed with clubs and knives, beat up family members, alleging that they were violating the fundamentalist regime's laws of morality.

People in the vicinity of the park joined the families and resisted the thugs. Soon passer-by and local residents in large numbers joined the fray. Despite being armed and well-equipped, the thugs escaped from the scene.of the clash once a huge crowd had gathered.

Minutes later, however, ten cars carrying scores of Revolutionary Guards and thugs arrived at the scene. Government agents blocked off the entrance to the park and set about beating the people inside with truncheons, clubs and whips. Even women, children and the elderly were not spared. At least twenty people were arrested and taken away to an unknown destination. Their fate still remains unknown. The Guards also began to check and register the identities of everyone present in the area. They set up raod blocks and searched cars and this went on well into the night.

Several clashes have also been reported in the past few days between government-backed gangs of thugs and young Iranians in Mellat Park and Laleh Park in the capital Tehran after attempts by the thugs to harass the young.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran - Paris
July 7, 1997

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