Reported by PMOI/MEK
Iran, Feb. 5, 2019 – On Monday, the depositors of state-backed online trading platform Sekeh Samen gathered in front of the Tehran Prosecutor’s office and held demonstrations in protest to the looting of their investments.
The protesters were chanting: “I will die but I will take back my right” and “Prosecutor, order the refunding of our deposits.”
The protesters also laid out empty table cloths in front of the prosecutor’s office, a sign that the looting of their deposits has deeply affected their livelihoods.
Protests by customers of Sekeh Samen
“In the spring of freedom, our tables are empty,” the protesters were chanting. “Spring of freedom” is a reference to the 1979 revolution, which saw the ouster of the Shah regime and the rise of the mullahs to power in Iran. February 11 will mark the 40th anniversary of the revolution.
Sekeh Samen launched in 2016, with promises of providing services for digital commerce and the online sale of various types of precious metals. The website made many claims about providing financial service round-the-clock and to all parts of the world. Last August, the company removed its online trade section without prior notice, claiming it was conducting technical maintenance. Shortly after, the Gold and Jewelry Union, which keeps tabs on the brick-and-mortar and online trade of precious metals, ordered the shutdown of Sekeh Samen.
The Union claimed Sekeh Samen had never obtained a permit for work. Meanwhile, the Union had been overtly promoting the website on its premises and online portals. The company left thousands of online traders out in the cold, triggering even more protests over the financial corruption that is plaguing the regime in its entirety.
The customers of Sekeh Samen have been regularly protesting since 2018 in front of government offices, demanding the refund of their deposits.
The protests of Sekeh Samen depositors are taking place in tandem with daily demonstrations by customers of corrupt state-backed credit institutions in various cities whose investment have been stolen by the credit companies. Sekeh Samen is yet another manifestation of the corruption that plagues the entire Iranian regime and involves the regime’s own officials and institutions.
Protests by customers of Sekeh Samen