News Center — Violations by Iranian authorities against cultural centers are escalating, with a wave of closures targeting libraries, cafes, and artistic spaces on charges related to "violation of norms" and "failure to observe Islamic decorum," reflecting the tightening of censorship on cultural activity in the country.

The "City of Books" complex in Babol, along with the "Sakanj" architectural cafe in Mashhad and the "Purple House" in Tehran, have ceased operations in recent days following a judicial order to close the "City of Books" and the closure of the Sakanj cafe—a meeting place for engineers, artists, and students—while authorities have not yet announced the official reasons for these measures.

The closure of these centers comes amid an increase in attacks on cafes, libraries, businesses, and active social media pages in recent weeks.

Published reports indicate the closure of at least 23 trade unions in various Iranian cities, in addition to the blocking or confiscation of 72 pages and accounts on social media platforms, and forcing managers of 21 pages to submit formal pledges.

Numerous sources have linked these measures to issues related to mandatory hijab, the appearance of women in clothing not conforming to official standards, in addition to charges such as "violation of norms," "failure to observe Islamic decorum," and publishing inappropriate content.

According to rights reports, the past year witnessed the closure of at least 191 business units in Iran, most of which were not due to professional violations, but on the pretext of non-compliance with mandatory hijab, providing services during Ramadan, or continuing to operate during religious mourning days.