Pro-Government Militias
Komiteh (Iran)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 244 |
| Country: | Iran |
| Date formed: | April 1, 1979 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | Komitehs are local groups that are run by clerics and the state to patrol the streets and detect behavior that does not conform to the Islamic laws. They were created after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. |
| Date dissolved: | Feb. 5, 1995 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | After efforts by President Rafsanjani in 1994 to abolish the PGM, they are integrated into the regular police forces one year later. |
| Termination Type(s): | integrated into regular forces |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | state (institution) |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | |
| Training and Equipment: | unclear |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no information |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | no information |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | religious; village/rural; urban |
| Primary Membership: | religious |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | nationwide |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, 1000] |
| Target(s): | civilians; criminals; unarmed political opposition, government critics |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions; protect state, national or religious leader(s); intelligence gathering |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | Organised around mosques and connected to Revolutionary Guards and interior ministry. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The group is supposed to enforce the Islamic law and to act against all potential threats to it. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | knowledge; local presence |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The PGM has been involved in clashes with civilians and targets people who are not behaving according to the government’s interpretation of the Islamic law. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | beating |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | unclear |
| Reasons for Membership: | Sources say that young people are happy to join the militia, probably because they are being paid. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | Komiteh is reported to have at least 1,000 members throughout the country. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | There is no specific information on whether Komiteh receives training or weapons. But, one can infer that the militia probably receives material support from the state as they act similar to the police force. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The Komitehs are locally organized around mosques and act as neighborhood patrols. They are controlled by the Interior Ministry and are said to have more power than the police. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.