Iran Labels Rock Music Fans Satan Worshippers in Mass Arrest
Iranian police arrested over 260 people at an underground music festival this weekend, branding the event a “satanist gathering”.
According to Iran International sources, police made the mass arrest in the Shahriar area of Tehran province Friday.
The semi-official Tasnim News Agency, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), reported that the attendees were adorned with "signs and symbols of Satanism" on their attire and accessories. The authorities also claimed they seized alcohol and psychedelic drugs.
The incident is part of a broader crackdown on rock and metal music in Iran, where such genres are frequently and baselessly associated with devil worship by the government.
Despite the heavy-handed tactics of the police and the IRGC intelligence, all individuals except for the event organizer have been released.
A group of Georgian musicians invited to perform, along with their manager, were handed over to their embassy in Tehran.
