Last updated:

October 24, 2024

“Fire at the Drug Addiction Camp in Langroud: Neglect of Supervision and Necessity of Accountability/ Mohammad Hadi Jafarpour”

The fire at the addiction treatment camp in Langroud raises the question of whether the country’s Welfare Organization and other governing bodies have any supervision over these places or not. What is the management and performance of addiction treatment camps and what is the role of the Welfare Organization in issuing licenses and overseeing such facilities?

According to the announcement of the country’s Welfare Organization, more than 1082 residential centers and addiction treatment camps have licenses from the Welfare Organization at the national level, but there are also centers that operate illegally in this field and there is no accurate statistics on their number. What responsibility does such a statement from the managers of a governing institution carry? Do supervisory institutions monitor the performance of such managers?

The spread of multiple films about how to deal with addicts present in these camps, along with quotes from families and individuals who have sought refuge in such centers to quit addiction, alongside the news of the fire at the Langroud addiction treatment camp, speaks of the lack of supervision by the Welfare Organization over such facilities.

The problems and tragedies of addiction treatment camps are increasing and every now and then we witness a terrible incident in these camps, which the welfare officials explicitly and calmly acknowledge. Some active centers, under the name of addiction treatment camps, are operating without a license and it is not clear which authority and institution is responsible for monitoring and controlling these centers. The claim of lack of supervision over some addiction treatment camps is being raised following the statements of the managers of this organization, while dozens of permits and inquiries are required to establish and operate a small bookstore or any form of economic and cultural activity. Therefore, it is not clear how and with what support these mentioned camps are operating.

Regardless of the issue of having or not having permission for such camps, what is important and follow-up worthy after the incidents of addiction camps is identifying and investigating the role of the Welfare Organization. The main mission of this institution is to serve three groups of individuals with disabilities, including physical disabilities (meaning individuals with physical impairments), social disabilities (such as female heads of households, addicts, or individuals who have a problem in terms of presence or activity in society), and mental disabilities (including individuals with mental problems).

Since the establishment of the Welfare Organization of the country, 52 duties have been assigned to this institution, the most important of which are:

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    Providing various services to vulnerable and disadvantaged families.

  • Caring for and taking care of physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially disabled individuals, whether they are able to recover or not.

  • Providing necessary trainings to prepare human resources of relevant units for performing welfare services.

  • Periodic evaluation of the lives of individuals who have benefited from welfare and rehabilitation services, and the use of information obtained to improve the quality and quantity of services.

  • Rehabilitation of Social Deviants

  • Providing various services to social victims and individuals who are at risk of harm.

  • Providing necessary dowry for orphans, disabled individuals, and those in need.

  • Support for the underprivileged and vulnerable groups and providing necessary support and rehabilitation services to the disabled of the revolution and war and their families.

  • Development of applied research for prevention of disabilities and social damages, rehabilitation, correction and guidance of social misfits and vulnerable individuals.

  • Cash and non-cash payments to individuals and groups in need and assistance in providing for their minimum living expenses according to regulations or tuition assistance to students under the coverage of welfare.

  • Organizing, supporting and caring for the elderly in need.

  • Prevention of disability

  • Prevention of social harms such as divorce, suicide, and child abuse.

According to the mentioned duties, this important question is noteworthy that which of the defined tasks has the National Welfare Organization fully accomplished?

Considering the defined commitments for the Welfare Organization as one of the deputy offices of the presidency, it is clear that the responsibility and ultimate accountability for the Camp Ashraf addiction incident in Langroud and other similar incidents lies with the government.

In the world of law, the principle of causation states that if there are multiple causes and reasons involved in a crime, the cause and reason that is stronger than others is considered responsible and accountable for legal and criminal consequences. Therefore, the guardians of the individuals involved in the Langaroud incident can file a complaint against the Welfare Organization and the officials of the mentioned camp, demanding the enforcement of legal punishment and compensation from the person in question.

Important note in identifying the responsible parties of this incident is to investigate the involvement and impact of the perpetrators of such an event, and then define the level of responsibility of each of them. If multiple factors are involved, the stronger cause is responsible, and if multiple factors are present at the same time, the total factors should be accountable based on the level of responsibility of each, and in such a case, participation in the commission of the crime occurs.

Without a doubt, identifying such a matter requires judicial and expert investigation, but what is certain is the necessity of accountability from relevant officials, especially government officials.

Created By: Mohammad Hadi Jafarpour
December 22, 2023

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