Zakani: People’s right to protest must be protected under law
Presidential candidate Alireza Zakani has pledged efforts to promote civil freedoms in the society if he is elected president, saying the Iranian people’s right to hold protest rallies should be protected under law.
In a meeting with a group of women in Tehran on Friday, Zakani, a veteran lawmaker, stressed the necessity of expanding social freedoms and paving the way for the people to exercise their civil right to freely hold demonstrations.
“The people’s right to protest should be written into law. The protests should be held at the headquarters of Friday Prayers or any other place agreed up on,” Zakani said. “We will set up a popular jury to examine the people’s protests and the officials’ statements of defense.”
Article 26 of Iran’s Constitution grants the people the right to freely hold public gatherings and marches, “provided arms are not carried and that they are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.”
To hold any gathering, the organizers are required to get a permission from the Iranian Interior Ministry.
In several cases, however, permissions have not been granted to the gatherings that are feared could turn violent and pose threats to the people’s lives or public and private property.
The issue of protecting the right to protest became the subject of a heated debate in 2019, after a series of unauthorized protests turned ugly in several Iranian cities.
The protests broke out in the aftermath of a decision by the administration to sharply increase fuel prices. The gatherings were initially peaceful, but spiraled into violence when armed rioters exploited the public anger to enter the scene, opening fire randomly and harshly vandalizing public and private property.
Over 200 people were estimated to have lost their lives across the country in the riots that the officials said were organized and directed by certain foreign governments.
New ministry of family?
Elsewhere in the meeting, Zakani spoke of a crucial need to safeguard family foundations and said he would form, if elected, a ministry of family, children and youth, which will be headed by a woman.
“A woman will be in charge of the ministry, something that would both serve as a model for the participation of women in the society and protect their rights in the family and the entire society,” Zakani said.
Among other measures to boost family foundations and increase the rate of population growth would be providing insurance for housewives, females head of household, and infertile couples, Zakani added.
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