Category: Freedom of Expression

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

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Environment, Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds
ahvaz, Ahvaz Water and Sewage, Gilan, Hafshejan pipeline, Isfahan Steel Company, Khuzestan province, Khuzestan Steel Company, Khuzestan water crisis, Khuzestan water shortages, Mashhad, Rasht, Shafa Rud dam in Gilan
The Khuzestan Water Crisis dominated this week’s protests in Iran. Citizens in over 28 cities held rallies in protest of the mismanagement from officials that has led to water shortages throughout the province and the drying of the Karun river. A number of labor protests took place as well, and in some areas the ongoing oil protests continued.

Friday July 16 & Saturday July 17

Farmers in Dezful, a group of workers Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry Co, fired workers and pest control workers of Haft Tappeh, members of Jam-e- Jam employees’ housing cooperative in Tehran, and a number of workers of Kut Abdollah municipality rallied protests and called on their demands to be met. On Saturday, the people of Khuzestan protested the water cut in the cities of Shavaur, Karkheh, Susangard, Kut Seyed Naeem, Shadegan, Ahvaz, Kut Abdollah, Hamidiyeh, and Shush. In addition, the people of Mashhad in Khorasan Razavi province joined the rallies in support of the people of Khuzestan.

Fired workers of Haft Tappeh:


Pest control workers of Haft Tappeh:

Rally of farmers in Dezful:

 

Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry:

 

Employees of Jam-e- Jam housing cooperative in Tehran:

 

Workers of Kut Abdollah municipality:

Sunday, July 18

A group of workers of Shafa Rud dam in Gilan, retirees in Rasht and Mashhad, a number of official forces of Ahvaz Water and Sewerage Company, retirees of Isfahan steel and Khuzestan steel in their provinces, a group of workers of Haft Tappeh company from all sectors for a sixth day in the row, a group of striking workers of the Dehdasht oil projects, and a number of welders of the Hafshejan pipeline project demanded that their requests be addressed. Meanwhile, on the fourth day of the protests in Khuzestan, People in Susangard, and Ahvaz marched rallies, which were met with shooting and tear gas from military forces.

Workers of Dehdasht and Hafshejan projects:

 

 

Workers of Shafa Rud dam in Gilan:

Retirees in Rasht and Mashhad:

Official forces of Ahvaz Water and Sewerage Company:

Retirees of Isfahan steel, and Khuzestan steel:

 

Workers Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry:

 

Monday July 19 and Tuesday July 20

A number of Caspian Institute shareholders in Tehran, a group of retirees of East Azerbaijan Telecommunication Company in Tabriz, a group of suburban bus and minibus drivers in Tehran, a numberof workers Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry workers from all sectors for the seventh and eighth consecutive day, collectors of burnt oil In Tehran, a group of workers from the Sungun copper mine and the staff of the Ajin Iron Company, and  a number of fired workers from the municipality of District 2 in Ahvaz held rallies.

Additionally, a group of workers of the oil projects of Pian village in Khuzestan, a number of workers of the Lordegan oil projects, a group from workers in oil projects in Gahru, some operational staff of POGC company, a number of office employees of the oil industry in Fajr Jam gas refining company, contract workers of phases 9 and 10 of South Pars region, a number of farmers of Isfahan, a number of cattle breeders of Neishabour held protest rallies and called on their demands to be addressed. Also, a widespread protest of the people of Khuzestan against water cuts and mismanagement was ongoing in the fifth and sixth days, in different cities of Ahvaz, Mahshahr, Kut Abdollah, Khorramshahr, Chamran, Hamidiyeh, Ramhormoz, Susangar, Veys, Shadegan, Abadan and Izeh.

Caspian Institute shareholders:

East Azerbaijan Telecommunication Company in Tabriz:

Suburban bus and minibus drivers in Tehran:

Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry:

 

Workers of the Lordegan oil projects:

 

Workers from the municipality of District 2 in Ahvaz:

Workers of the oil projects of Pian village in Izeh, Khuzestan:

 

Cattle breeders of Neishabour:

 

Farmers in Isfahan:

 

Contract workers of phases 9 and 10 of South Pars region:

Official employees of Fajr Jam gas refinery:

Workers in oil projects in Gahru:

 

Operational staff of POGC company:

Wednesday, July 21

A number of film and television artists in Tehran rallied supporting protesters in Khuzestan. A group of workers from workers Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry from all sectors of the company held protest rallies for the ninth day in a row, calling their demands to be addressed. Also, widespread protests by the people of Khuzestan against water shortage and lack of water management continued in the cities of the province, including Ramshir,Susangard, Sheiban, Elahi, Ahvaz, Masjed Soleiman, Behbahan, and Bandar Mahshahr. In at least two other cities, including Yazdan in Isfahan and Bandar Genaveh in Bushehr province, people rallied in support of the people of Khuzestan.

Film and television artists in Tehran:

Workers from workers Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry:

Thursday, July 22

A number of workers and employees of Khorasan Railway, a group of farmers of Shabiluy village from Poldasht, West Azerbaijan province, a number of workers Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry from all sectors, for the tenth day in a row held protest rallies and called on their demands to be addressed. Also,a number of employed and retired teachers in Kermanshah province supported the protests of the people of Khuzestan by holding a rally in Kermanshah.

Teachers in Kermanshah supported the protests of the people of Khuzestan:

Workers and employees of Khorasan Railway:

Farmers of Shabiluy village in Poldasht, West Azerbaijan:

Workers Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry:

 

 

Update on Khuzestan: Military Atmosphere and Internet Outages

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Environment, Freedom of Expression
Bushehr, Bushehr Province, Farahmandpour, Hadi Bahmani, Izeh, Khuzestan, Khuzestan protests, Khuzestan province, Khuzestan water crisis

On the evening of Thursday, July 22, reports and images were published showing that protests took place in Genaveh in Bushehr Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, as of today internet access has been cut off in most parts of Khuzestan.

Protests started in Khuzestan province on the night of Thursday, July 15, in response to the resource mismanagement that has led to the water crisis.  The protests began on Thursday, July 15, and have now spread to at least 28 cities.

During the last eight days, several citizens have been injured and the killing of three protesting citizens and a police officer has been confirmed by provincial officials. 17-year-old Hadi Bahmani, who was killed during the protest in Izeh yesterday, was buried today. Local sources say the death toll is at least double that number, but HRANA has thus far been unable to confirm its accuracy.

Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, has published an article on his social media in which he states, “The security forces have been ordered to immediately release the detainees who did not commit any criminal acts in the recent incidents in Khuzestan.”

At the same time, various judicial and security officials have said they will counter “anti-revolutionaries”. Dezful Governor Ali Farahmandpour called the protests “riots”.

“The rioters will be dealt with severely,” Farahmandpour said. “These riots have nothing to do with agricultural water. The rioters are opportunists who call for a counter-revolution.”

These remarks have raised concerns about the violent treatment of protesters.

The Iran Music House, and the Theater Forum issued statements in support of the protests of the people in Khuzestan and condemned any violent treatment of the legitimate demands of the people.

The global internet watchdog website “Netblocks” has confirmed the internet disruptions since the protests took place in Khuzestan saying that “widespread Internet disruptions in Iran have occurred since Thursday last week following popular protests in Khuzestan province and it continues.”

Read our fact sheet for more info on what is going on in Khuzestan.

 

Civil Activists Released Hours After Arrest in Tehran During March Supporting Khuzestan

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
arash kaykhosravi, Arash Sadeghi, Behzad Homayouni, Hamid Asefi, Jafar Azimzadeh, Khuzestan, Khuzestan province, Khuzestan water crisis, Narges Mohammadi, Pouran Nazemi, Rasoul Bodaghi, Ruhollah Mardani, Tehran

On Tuesday, July 20, civil activists Narges Mohammadi, Arash Sadeghi, Arash Kaykhosravi, Ruhollah Mardani, Jafar Azimzadeh, Rasoul Bodaghi, Pouran Nazemi, Hamid Asefi, and Behzad Homayouni, were released from custody a couple of hours after their arrest.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the activists were beaten and arrested while marching in support of the people of Khuzestan.

Before their arrest, they had said in a video that a number of them had been beaten in front of the Interior Ministry by military forces.

During the last six days, people in Khuzestan province have been protesting frequent water cuts, and lack of water resources management in the cities of Ramhormoz, Shavur, Karkheh, Chamran, Kut Seyed Naeem, Shush, Ahvaz, Abadan, Hamidiyeh, Bostan, Susangard, Mahshahr, Khorramshahr, Shadegan, Kut Abdollah, Mollasani, Hoveyzeh, Abu Homeyzeh, and Veys.

Mass Protests in Khuzestan Continue for Seventh Day

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Environment, Freedom of Expression
ahvaz, Behbahan, Izeh, khorramshahr, Khuzestan, Khuzestan province, Khuzestan water crisis, Khuzestan water shortages, Masjed, Ramshir, Shadegan, Shahrui, Soleyman, Yazdanshahr

Today, the cities of Susangard, Behbahan, Abadan, Izeh, Ahvaz, Khorramshahr, Ramhormoz, and Shadegan, staged protest rallies that were confronted by military forces with arrests, tear gas, and bullets.

 

 

Widespread protests started in Khuzestan province on the night of Thursday, July 15, in response to the resource mismanagement that has led to the water crisis. Protests have been going for the past seven days and have spread to at least 22 cities.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, at least four civilians and one police officer have been confirmed as killed since the start of the protests. HRANA was able to verify the identities of those killed since Thursday as Meysam Echresh from Taleghani in Mahshahr, Mostafa Naeemawi from Shadegan, Ghasem Naseri from Kut Abdollah, and officer Zargham Parast in Mahshahr. According to local sources, a number of additional citizens have been injured during the protests as well.

Disconnections and a severe decrease in Internet speed in some cities of Khuzestan province have been reported on social media. Previously, a resident of Ahvaz told HRANA that the internet of all carriers is disconnected, and people cannot access the internet through phones.

Received videos show the presence of a large number of military forces around Azadi Square in Tehran and the security atmosphere for facing possible protests.

The scope of the violence against the protesting people of Khuzestan have elicited reactions from numerous different sections of society. In a statement, the Tehran Teachers’ Union condemned the suppression of the Khuzestan protests and blamed the government for the resource problems. 330 artists gave a statement which condemned the suppression of protests and expressed solidarity with the protesters.

Several film and television artists gathered in front of the Artists’ House to show their support. The players of the Abadan Oil Industry soccer team, the Iranian Writers Association, and the Iranian Cinema House all issued statements in support of the protesters, and calling on the relevant authorities to address the situation.

Today, videos broadcasted on social networks show people marching in Yazdanshahr in Isfahan in support of the people of Khuzestan. Also, people in Masjed Soleyman, Ramshir, Shahrui village of Behbahan, and Ahvaz in Khuzestan marched and held protest rallies.

***

Read our fact sheet for more info on what is going on in Khuzestan. For media interviews, contact Skylar Thompson at [email protected].

 

Khuzestan Update: IRIB Confirms that Citizen was Shot and Killed During Last Night’s Protests in Izeh

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Environment, Freedom of Expression
Abadan, ahvaz, Behbahan, IRIB, Izeh, khorramshahr, Khuzestan, Khuzestan water crisis, Khuzestan water shortages, Shadegan, Susangard, Tehran

The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) confirmed that a citizen was killed during last night’s protests in Izeh, Khuzestan.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Actiists, the IRIB report did not specify the identity of the killed citizen. However, it described his death as a result of a “suspicious” shooting—notably vague phrasing, considering that the overwhelming majority of gunfire throughout the protests has come from government forces.

Widespread protest rallies in Khuzestan started Thursday, July 15, in response to the negligence of officials that led to frequent cuts of drinking water and the drying of Karun River.

The demonstrations against the water cuts and lack of proper resource management continued yesterday into their sixth day. Rallies were held in Susangard, Behbahan, Abadan, Izeh, Ahvaz, Khorramshahr and Shadegan.

Hassan Nabovati, acting governor of Izeh, stated that one police officer was killed and another injured during the protests in Mahshahr last night.

As released videos show, the protests in Izeh were disrupted by violence from military forces. There were reports of military officers spraying tear gas and opening fire at protesters.

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Manouchehr Bakhtiari Sentenced to Imprisonment and Exile

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
Bakhtiari, Central Penitentiary of Karaj, Gholam-Hossein Ismaili, Karaj, Manouchehr Bakhtiari, November 2019 nationwide protests, November 2019 Protests, Pouya Bakhtiari, Tehran

Manouchehr Bakhtiari, the father of Pouya Bakhtiari, one of the victims of the November 2019 nationwide protests, was sentenced to imprisonment and exile.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, 77 days after his arrest, Bakhtiari called his family and announced that he had been sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison and 2 years and 6 months in exile.

He was transferred from the detention center of a security institution to the Central Penitentiary in Karaj after the sentence was issued.

Bakhtiari was detained by security forces on April 29, after being beaten at his home in Tehran. One week after the arrest, Gholam-Hossein Ismaili, a spokesman for the judiciary, called Bakhtiari and his family “counter-revolutionaries” and charged them with “acting against national security”.

Manouchehr Bakhtiari has been protesting the killing of his son by security forces in November 2019. Pouya Bakhtiari was born September 10, 1992, and was shot dead on November 16, 2019 in Phase 4 of Mehrshahr, Karaj.

According to his father, Pouya, along with his sister and mother, joined a protest march on the second day of the nationwide protest against the increase in gasoline prices. He was shot in the head, and he died before reaching the hospital.

As of this writing, the details of the verdict and the charges against Mr. Bakhtiari are not known.

Activist Arrests and Tear Gas: Khuzestan Protests Continue Into Sixth Day

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Environment, Freedom of Expression
Abadan, ahvaz, arash kaykhosravi, Arash Sadeghi, Behzad Homayouni, Hamid Asefi, iran protests, Izeh, Jafar Azimzadeh, khorramshahr, Khuzestan, Khuzestan protests, Khuzestan water crisis, Narges Mohammadi, Pooran Nazemi, Rasoul Bodaghi, Ruhollah Mardani, Shadegan, Susangard

Today, July 20, the widespread protests in Khuzestan over the ongoing water crisis continued for a sixth consecutive day. Since the start of the protests on Thursday, provincial authorities have confirmed that at least two civilians have been killed by military forces.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, today’s protests took place in the cities of Izeh, Khorramshahr, Ahvaz, Shadegan, Abadan, Susangard, and Behbahan. HRANA received reports of shootings and internet shutdowns in some areas, as well as a report of the death of a protester, but neither have been confirmed as of this writing.

Today a number of prominent civil activists also gathered in Tehran to voice their support for the protesters in Khuzestan, and were met with violence from security forces. Activists Narges Mohammadi, Arash Sadeghi, Arash Kaykhosravi, Ruhollah Mardani, Jafar Azimzadeh, Rasoul Bodaghi, Pooran Nazemi, Hamid Asefi, and Behzad Homayouni were arrested by security forces in Tehran and taken to an unknown location.

Below is our updated map of the protests of the last five days.

Watch our compilation of footage from the protests.

Read our fact sheet for more info on what is going on in Khuzestan.

Several Activists Arrested in Tehran Following a Rally in Support of Protesters in Khuzestan

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Environment, Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
Arash Sadeghi, Behzad Homayouni, Hamid Asefi, Jafar Azimzadeh, Khuzestan, Khuzestan province, Khuzestan water crisis, Khuzestan water shortages, Narges Mohammadi, Pooran Nazemi, Rasoul Bodaghi, Ruhollah Mardani

Several activists were arrested in Tehran following a rally in support of the citizens of Khuzestan amidst the ongoing protests over water shortages in the province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the arrested activists have been identified as Narges Mohammadi, Arash Sadeghi, Arash Kaykhosravi, Ruhollah Mardani, Jafar Azimzadeh, Rasoul Bodaghi, Pooran Nazemi, Hamid Asefi, and Behzad Homayouni.

The detention of these citizens was violent and accompanied by beatings. Earlier today, in a video, Narges Mohammadi stated, “We wanted to gather in front of the Ministry of Interior to protest the killing of innocent – thirsty people in Khuzestan, but we were treated violently by security forces and some of us were beaten. Now we are marching in a street in Tehran to support the people of Khuzestan.”

During the last six days, people in Khuzestan Province have been protesting the frequent water cuts and mismanagement of water sources in at least 20 cities.

Since the second day of the protests, provincial officials have confirmed that two citizens, 30-year-old Mostafa Naeemawi from Shadegan, and 17-year-old Ghasem Naseri (Khaziri) from the Kut Abdollah area of Ahvaz, were killed during the protests. HRANA has received reports, which have yet to be verified, of a third civilian additionally being shot dead by military forces.

The exact status of the detained activists and their whereabouts are unknown at the time of writing.

More than 130 Documentarians Sign Statement Condemning the Government’s Violent Response to Khuzestan Protests

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Environment, Freedom of Expression
iran protests, Khuzestan, Khuzestan water crisis, Khuzestan water shortages

More than 130 documentarians signed a statement entitled “And water crisis ignited, again” regarding the widespread protests in Khuzestan.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the statement condemned acts of violence against the people of Khuzestan.

“We, the documentary directors, have always reflected the difficulties and will of our people based on our work tradition,” the signatories wrote in the statement, “and today we stand by the thirsty people of Khuzestan and strongly condemn the repression of the people.”

Since the night of Thursday, July 15, dozens of rallies have been held in protest of the mismanagement that has led to water cuts in Khuzestan cities. Military and police forces have responded violently to the protests, and, in a few cases, opened fire on civilians.

Five Day Summary: Recap of Ongoing Protests over Water Crisis in Khuzestan

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Environment, Freedom of Expression
Abadan, Abou Homeyzeh in Khuzestan Province, ahvaz, Ahvaz city, Bandar Mahshahr, Bostan, hamidiyeh, Hoveyzeh, Karkheh, khorramshahr, Khuzestan, Khuzestan province, Khuzestan water crisis, Kut Abdollah, Kut Seyed Naeem, Mashhad, Mollasani, Shadegan, Shavur, Shush, Shush city, Susangard

Today, July 19, the widespread protests in Khuzestan over the mismanagement of officials regarding the ongoing water crisis continued for a fifth consecutive day. Since the start of the protests on Thursday, provincial authorities have confirmed that at least two civilians have been killed by military forces.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, today’s rallies in Khuzestan took place in Hamidiyeh, Ahvaz, Kut Abdullah, Susangard, Ramhormoz, Mahshahr, Khorramshahr, Veys, and Chamranhere. There were no reports of violence or shootings by government forces except a report from Chamran city, which seems to be aerial shooting.

 

 

The weekend’s demonstrations also saw heavy escalation. As shown in videos previously published by HRANA, the Susangard protests were responded to with violence from on-duty military forces this Sunday. In multiple areas police opened fire on unarmed protesters.

The protestors blocked the roads connecting Ahvaz to Khorramshahr and Ahvaz to Shush by lighting fires. There have also reportedly been sporadic internet outages across the province.

Since the second day of the protests, provincial officials have confirmed that two citizens, 30-year-old Mostafa Naeemawi from Shadegan, and 17-year-old Ghasem Naseri (Khaziri) from the Kut Abdollah area of Ahvaz, were killed during the protests. HRANA has received reports, which have yet to be verified, of a third civilian additionally being shot dead by military forces.

Previously, the governor of Khuzestan said,  “The published videos of the protests in the province are fake and no protest has taken place.”

“Some seek to provoke the people and publish fake images of the protests in cyberspace,” the governor  further stated. “For example, nothing has happened in the cities of Khorramshahr and Susangard, but clips related to the past events are published in cyberspace!”

Public rallies to protest the water cuts and lack of access to drinking water began on the night of Thursday, July 15, and have spread to at least 17 cities so far.

During the last four days, people protested in at least 17 cities, including Shavur, Karkheh, Kut Seyed Naeem, Shush, Ahvaz, Abadan, Hamidiyeh, Bostan, Susangard, Bandar Mahshahr, Khorramshahr, Shadegan, Kut Abdollah, Mollasani, Hoveyzeh, and Abou Homeyzeh in Khuzestan Province and Mashhad. In some of the released videos, the sounds of gunfire can be heard, and a recurring theme across the footage is the heavy presence of armed military and security forces.

Local sources published reports, as of yet unverified, that several protesting citizens were injured and many others were detained in the city of Khorramshahr. So far, Abdolreza Soleimani, Darem Soleimani, Mansour Soleimani, Yarullah Soleimani and his son Ali Soleimani, all residents of Khorramshahr, are reportedly detained.

Workers at the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry Company supported protests in Khuzestan during their rally and march on Sunday, July 18.

A resident of Ahvaz told HRANA about the situation in the city, “Special forces from other places are quickly (being) deployed to Ahvaz to suppress young protestors. Access to drinking water is one of the most basic civil rights. While Khuzestan was once considered the most water-rich province in the country, the mismanagement has led to the crisis of supply of drinking water in Khuzestan to become a serious challenge for people.”

Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash, a representative of Shazand City in Parliament, said that providing water and development is an immediate responsibility of the entire government. Bighash wrote in a tweet:

“The situation in Khuzestan is concerning, I point it out indirectly, be very careful about what happened in Khuzestan; open all the [Karun River’s] water sources to quench Khuzestan’s thirst and put out the fire.”

Abdullah Izad Panah, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Khuzestan, also gave a statement in a recent meeting about crisis management in which he criticized the water transfer projects in the province.

“Water transfer projects should be stopped,” the representative said. “Drought is just one side of the issue. The transfer of water has caused Khuzestan to fall to this condition.”

Earlier, Jalil Mokhtar, the representative of Abadan, considered the problems caused by the transfer of water from Khuzestan province to other provinces, and mismanagement.

“Unfortunately, we have witnessed the water transfer from Khuzestan to other areas based on government approvals,” Mokhtar said. “Khuzestan, which was a fertile plain, is now on a desertification path.”

The Human Rights Defenders Association wrote an open letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing concern about the suppression of protesters of the water crisis by security officials and calling for an end to the suppression.

“Khuzestan province, despite having rich oil resources, is among the most deprived provinces in Iran, and its residents are facing a high range unemployment, losing water sources, polluted air, and frequent power outages, so their protests are completely justified, and the response must not be bullets and imprisonment.”

Watch our compilation of video footage taken at various protests throughout the province.