Iranian President Ahmadinejad Suggests Sending "Bullies and Hooligans" to Labor Camps

Following are excerpts from a report on Iran's treatment of bullies and hooligans, which aired on BBC Persian TV on April 19, 2009.

Anchor: At first, they were beaten and paraded in public, with an aftabeh pitcher [for washing one's behind in toilets] hanging around their necks. Now Mr. Ahmadinejad wants to send them to Kavir Desert for forced labor. This new proposal for dealing with bullies and hooligans was introduced today by the Iranian president, at a conference of Iranian police commanders, as reported by Panah Farhad-Bahman.

Panah Farhad-Bahman, reporter: Mr. Ahmadinejad caught many people off guard today with a new proposal. At a convention of law enforcement commanders, the Iranian president talked about the need for an initiative to distance bullies and hooligans from society. Obviously, he did not make do with general statements, but suggested that in order to distance the bullies and hooligans from society, they should be taken to the mine of Kavir Desert to carry out forced labor, "in order to turn them into human beings," as he put it. For approximately three years, the Increasing Security in Society program has been implemented in Iran. Part of this program is concerned with dealing with bullies and hooligans. The term "bullies and hooligans" is being used by many people these days – from police commanders to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – but it is still vague for many legal experts.

[...]

About a year ago, Iranian TV broadcast a report about people who, under the title of "bullies and hooligans," were arrested, prosecuted, and executed. Iranian TV broadcast their last words, uttered a few moments before execution.

Condemned man: It ends with the noose.

Second condemned man: It ends with the noose. This is what delinquency leads to.

Panah Farhad-Bahman, reporter: Some people had doubts about these allegations – even people who believed that a hard line should be taken against those who undermine the security of society. If these people had such a record of crime and delinquency, how come they were free until now? On the other hand, some methods of dealing with bullies and hooligans led to protests even among high-ranking judiciary officials, who criticized them, saying these actions violated the principle of human dignity. These officials said that these actions would have an opposite effect on society, and would generate compassion toward the criminals. With the rise in protests, the police tried to reconsider some of its actions, but now, the new proposal by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has brought the issue of bullies and hooligans to the headlines once again.

Panah Farhad-Bahman, BBC.