Pro-Government Militias

Pro-Government Militia Website

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