Corpun file 17649

Iran Focus (iranfocus.com), 4 May 2006

Iran sentences 52 Sufis and their lawyers to jail, flogging

Tehran, Iran, May 04 – Dozens of Islamic mystics and their lawyers have been sentenced to jail and flogging, a state-run daily reported on Thursday.

Altogether, 52 Islamic mystics, or Sufis, were sentenced to jail time and flogging and received a fine, the daily Kargozaran wrote.

They were charged with “disrupting public order”.

They were from among 1,000 Sufis who were arrested in February for taking part in anti-government riots in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran.

Their two lawyers, Farshid Yadollahi and Omid Behrouzi, were also sentenced to one year behind bars and 74 lashes and fined 10 million Rials ($1,000). Both of the men were also barred from working as lawyers for five years.

Islamic mystics, or Sufis, focus on the direct perception of Truth or God through mystic practices based on divine love. Sufism, common to both Sunni and Shiite sects of Islam, has its roots in Iran. Its followers oppose Iran’s ruling theocracy on spiritual grounds.

In February, police arrested some one thousand Sufis as clashes broke out after the place of worship used by the mystics was demolished on government orders.

Hundreds were injured during the clashes after police fired teargas and used truncheons to attack the demonstrating Sufis.

Following the clashes, Iran Focus published a partial list of those arrested.