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.
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.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place in different parts of the country this week. Below is a quick recap and footage from the demonstrations.
Friday July 9 and Saturday July 10
Several civil and political activists in Tehran, several bakers in Qazvin, a group of women from Nasir Mahalla and Shalma villages located in Shaft county, a group of pest control workers from Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company, residents of Marqa village from the central part Izeh city, a group of employees of Qom Health Care Services, workers of rural telecommunication agents in Mashhad, a group of taxi drivers in Marivan, Kurdestan, residents of Ahvaz concerned about the drying rivers in Khuzestan province, workers of Kut Abdullah municipality, and a number of bakery workers in Neyshabur all held protest rallies on Friday and Saturday of last week.
Qazvin bakers:
Civil and political activists in Tehran in support of Manouchehr Bakhtiari:
Women from Nasir Mahalla and Shalma villages:
Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers:
Marqa village residents in Izeh:
Employees of health services in Qom:
Workers of rural telecommunication agents in Mashhad:
Taxi drivers in Marivan, Kurdestan:
Residents in Ahvaz protesting rivers in danger of drying, in Khuzestan:
Workers of Kut Abdullah municipality:
Sunday, July 11
A group of shareholders of Cryptoland exchange in Tehran, a group of pest control workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company for the 16th consecutive day, Mashhad bakery workers, a group of retirees the Steel of Isfahan, retirees seeking social security in the cities of Rasht and Ahvaz, a group of water and sewage workers from the Azadegan plain in Khuzestan called on their demands to be addressed through protest rallies. Also, the strikes of contract workers of several companies affiliated with the oil, petrochemical, and power plants companies are still expanding, and so far, workers of 105 industrial units in different provinces of the country have stopped working and joined the strikes.
Cryptoland shareholders:
Pest control workers of Haft Tappeh:
Bakers in Mashhad:
Retirees the Steel of Isfahan company:
Retirees of social security in the cities of Rasht and Ahvaz:
Water and sewage workers from the Azadegan plain in Khuzestan:
Monday, July 12
A group of pharmacists in Tehran and Shiraz, contract workers of Kut Abdollah municipality, a group of pesticide workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company for the 17th day in a row, drivers of Urmia minibus fleets, several workers of Khorasan Petrochemical Company, A group of people from Chabahar city in Sistan and Baluchestan province, a group of doctors, faculty members andresidents of the dermatology field, and a group of workers from Urmia Municipality all held protest gatherings.
Residents of Chabahr in Sistan and Baluchestan Province:
Pharmacists in Tehran:
Pharmacists in Shiraz:
Contract workers of Kut Abdollah municipality:
Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company:
Physicians in Tehran
Workers of Khorasan Petrochemical Company:
Tuesday July 13
Several bakery workers in Mashhad, workers of Haft Tappeh Company from all sectors, a group of Ahvaz Municipality workers held protests this Tuesday. Additionally, marches against frequent water and electricity cuts were held in the cities of Khorramshahr and Qasr-e-qand.
Residents of Khorramshahr:
Workers of Ahvaz municipality:
Bakers in Mashhad
Workers of Haft Tappeh Company from all sectors:
Wednesday, July 14
Ranchers in four cities, including Shahrekord, Neyshabur, Birjand, and Torbat Heydariyeh, a group of workers from Haft Tappeh Company from all sectors for the second day and workers of the pest control department for the nineteenth consecutive day protested this Wednesday. A group of people from the western Hume, a number of social security workers and retirees, as well as a group of farmers in the villages of Janadaleh and Khazrajin Hamidiyeh in Khuzestan Province, drivers of tankers truck and fuel trucks in Qasr Shirin held demonstrations of protest as well.
Ranchers in Neyshabur:
Workers from Haft Tappeh Company from all sectors:
Pest control workers of Haft Tappeh:
Residents of western Hume:
Retirees of social security:
Farmers in Khuzestan:
Drivers of tanker trucks:
Thursday July 15
at least 13 rallies protest were held this Thursday. A group of workers of Ahvaz Municipality, workers of Jahan Pars Company, bakers and workers in Bojnourd in of North Khorasan, a group of workers of Haft Tappeh Company from all sectors and workers of the pest control department of this company for the twentieth day protested. Several environmental activists in Isfahan, residents in Sepehr town located in Karaj, farmers in the villages of Bavi district of Ahvaz city – Masjed Soleiman, some cities of Khuzestan including Abadan, Hamidiyeh, Bostan, Susangard and Mahshahr port due to water cut and lack of access to Drinking water also separately marched and protested in their respective cities.
Workers of Ahvaz Municipality:
Workers of Jahan Pars Company:
Gathering of bakers and bakery workers in Bojnourd:
Rally of Haft Tappeh workers
Residents in Sepehr town in Karaj:
Farmers in Bavi village:
Protesters in Khuzestan Province (including Hamidiyeh, Bostan, Susanger, Shadegan) in light of ongoing water shortages:
A month after the arrest of labor activist Maziar Seyednejad, he is still in detention and his fate is unknown.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Seyednejad was arrested on June 7 by security forces at his home in Tehran. From there, he was as transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, one of the solitary confinement cells of the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Center.
A few days after his arrest, during a brief phone call under the supervision of security forces, Seyednejad informed his family that he is unaware of the reasons for his detention. Despite the family’s inquiries, the reasons for the arrest and the charges against the labor activist are unknown at the time of writing.
Recently, Branch 16 of the Court of Appeals in Khuzestan Province upheld Mr. Seyednejad’s 3-year prison sentence.
On June 19, teacher union activist Massoud Hamidnia was arrested by IRGC intelligence agents at his home in the city of Shush in Khuzestan Province.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, security forces raided his home without a warrant and confiscated several of his personal belongings including his laptop and mobile phone.
The detained activist is suffering from medical problems such as rheumatoid arthritis, and he has been denied access to his medications since the arrest, raising concern among his family.
Hamidnia’s family was told that he had been arrested in connection with his activities on social media and cyberspace regarding the recent presidential election.
As of this writing, no information is available on his whereabouts or the charges against him. Hamidnia has thus far only been allowed to make one short phone call to his family.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place in different parts of the country this week. Below is a quick recap and footage from the demonstrations.
Saturday, June 12
On Saturday, June 12, a group of rice farmers in Khuzestan rallied in front of the governor’s office. In Tehran, retired drivers of the Tehran Bus Company gathered in front of the company’s headquarters. Contract workers of the maintenance unit for Tehran Metro Line 5 held a rally in front of Hashtgerd metro station, a group of shareholders of Cryptoland Exchange who lost money to the company rallied in front of the Economic Crimes Court building, and family members of SMA patients gathered in front of the Ministry of Health building.
Rice farmers in Khuzestan:
Retired bus drivers in Tehran:
Workers of the maintenance unit for Tehran Metro:
Shareholders of Cryptoland Exchange:
Sunday, June 13
On Sunday, June 13, a group of shopkeepers in Gachsaran in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province gathered in front of the governor’s office. A group of veterans who were injured during the Iran-Iraq war rallied in front of the Martyr Foundation building in Tehran, several drivers and workers of the Tehran Bus Company heled a rally in front of the city council building, and Cryptoland exchange shareholders gathered in front of the Economic Crimes court building again.
Shopkeepers in Gachsaran:
Injured Iraq-Iran war Veterans:
Bus drivers in Tehran:
Shareholders of Cryptoland Exchange:
Monday, June 14
On Monday, Several fishermen in Kharg city of Kharg Island gathered in front of the border checkpoint. A group of workers of Tehran Jonoob company protested in Mahshahr in Khuzestan Province. Landowners in the new city of Pardis, rice farmers in Khuzestan Province, and fired workers of Khuzestan Pipe Industrial Company also held rallies.
Fishermen in Kharg island:
Workers of Tehran Jonoob company in Mahshahr:
Landowners in the new city of Pardis:
Tuesday, June 15
A group of delivery motorcyclists in Laleh Park in Tehran, and a group of families of Bafgh phosphate mine workers in the conference hall of Ahanshahr town held protest rallies.
Delivery motorcyclist in Laleh Park in Tehran:
Wednesday, June 16
The staff of Telecommunication Company of Khuzestan in the cities of Shushtar, Masjed Soleiman, and Ahvaz gathered in front of their cities’ Telecommunication Offices. Shareholders of the “Mashhad Mall” project rallied in front of the building of Ayandeh Bank in Mashhad. Workers of Tehran Jonoob Company held protest rallies for the third day in a row in Mahshahr.
Protest of staff of Telecommunication Company in Khuzestan:
Shareholders of Cryptoland Exchange:
Workers’ protest in Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry:
On June 14th, a greengrocer was arrested at his workplace in Ahvaz in Khuzestan Province after his comments on the recent actions of Ebrahim Raisi’s presidential campaign.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the grocer was arrested by security forces and transferred to an unknown location.
Recently, a video of the greengrocer was published on social media, in which he says that the election campaign of Ebrahim Raisi extorted money from greengrocers of a daily market under the pretext of helping the campaign.
As of this writing, the charges against him and his whereabouts are unknown.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Workers’ union, on June 6, workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry went on strike for the fifth day in a row to protest the non-payment of their wages for the past two months and the detention of three of their colleagues.
Monday, June 7
On Monday, group of workers of Kut Abdullah Municipality protested wage arrears in front of Karun city court. Several Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers gathered in front of Shush city governor’s building. Shareholders of Cryptoland exchange protested in front of Economic Crimes Court building in Tehran. Teachers of Izeh primary schools protested in front of the Khuzestan governor’s office in Ahvaz. A group of residents of Mansoureh village of Shadegan district gathered in front of the city governor building in protest of frequent water shortages. Ahvas ABFA workers held rallies in front of the office building of the General Administration of Water Supply and Sewerage of Khuzestan.
Kut Abdullah Municipality workers:
Crypto-land exchange shareholders:
Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers in Shush:
Izeh primary school teachers:
Mansoureh villagers in Shadegan:
Tuesday, June 8
This Tuesday, several owners of addiction clinics and associations (rehabs) protested in front of the Food and Drug Administration in Tehran. Members of the Islamic Labor Council of the Bus Company rallied in front of Tehran City Council. A group of shareholders of crypto exchange protested for the second day in a row in front of the Economic Crimes Court in Tehran. Teachers from non-governmental schools and remote education schools protested in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly in Tehran, and a number of Khuzestan rice farmers protested in front of the Khuzestan governor’s office in Ahvaz.
Addiction clinic and rehabilitation center owners:
Islamic Labor Council of the Bus Company members:
Shareholders of crypto-land exchange:
Teachers from non-governmental schools and remote education:
Khuzestan farmers:
Wednesday, June 9
A group of workers from the Ahvaz Pipe Company in front of the governor’s office, several Stalak landowners of the new town of Pardis stationed in front of the Judiciary building in Tehran, and a group of health stations workers in front of the Ministry of Health building in Tehran all held protest rallies this Wednesday.
Ahvaz Pipe Company workers:
Stalak landowners:
Health station workers:
Thursday, June 10
According to HRANA, quoting Asr-e-Jonub News, a group of farmers from the Shavur section of Karkheh city gathered this Thursday to protest the ban on summer planting.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place in different parts of the country this week. Below is a quick recap and footage from the demonstrations.
Saturday, May 29
On Saturday, May 29, A group of farmers in Ahvaz city held a rally in front of the Khuzestan governor’s building near the Salman water supply canal to protest water shortages. Teachers of Green Result-Letter rallied in front of the Ministry of Education building in Tehran. Staff of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Karaj gathered after receiving inaccurate salary payments in the hospital area. Izeh preschool teachers rallied in the city’s education building and protested uncertainty over their employment status. Persian Gulf Holding staff protested in front of the gate of the special Mahshahr site. Protestors called on their demands to be addressed.
Farmers in Ahvaz city and rural areas:
Teachers of Green Result-Letter:
Staff of Imam Khomeini Hospital:
Izeh preschool teachers:
Workers from the Persian Gulf Holding:
Sunday, May 30
On June 30, farmers from different villages of Ahvaz city held a rally for the second consecutive day in front of the Khuzestan governor’s building. Retirees of Khuzestan Steel Company held rallies in several cities including Tehran, Ahvaz, Isfahan, and Rudbar in front of their cities’ Civil Servants Pension Fund buildings. A group of teachers and staff of non-profit schools from different cities gathered in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly building in Tehran, in front of the Education Department in Isfahan. Several professors at Azad University in Ahvaz, Shiraz, and Isfahan rallied in front of the campus buildings of their towns. Several fired workers of Mahshahr Petroleum Products Distribution Company gathered in front of the entrance of the oil depot of this city. Bankrupted investors in Caspian Financial Institution rallied in front of the Judiciary building in Tehran. Villagers of Bloband from the Kharqan section of Zarandieh city in Markazi Province held rallies as well.
Farmers from different villages of Ahvaz:
Retirees of Khuzestan Steel Company:
Tehran
Khuzestan province
Teachers and staff of non-profit schools in Tehran and Isfahan:
Azad University Protesters:
Ahvaz
Shiraz
Isfahan
Fired workers of Mahshahr Petroleum Products Distribution:
Bankrupted investors in Caspian Financial Institution:
Monday, May 31
Several employees of the Persian Gulf Holding Oil protested in front of Mahshahr Petrochemical Site 4. A group of teachers rallied in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly building in Tehran. Service staff of the National Iranian Drilling Camp protested in Ahvaz. Staff of Imam Hospital Khomeini protested in Karaj. A group of temporarily employed staff of Mahshahr Petrochemical Special Zone and Bandar Imam held rallies.
Employees of the Persian Gulf Holding Oil:
Temporary employees of Mahshahr Petrochemical:
Service staff of the National Iranian Drilling Camp in Ahvaz:
Staff at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Karaj:
Tuesday, June 1
A group of Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane workers protested in front of the management office complex. A group of landowners in the new city of Pardis gathered in front of the Judiciary building, several of whom lost money to the Mehr View Housing project in Tabriz, at the project’s site. Masjed-e-Soleiman ranchers who lost their livestock to sewage water pollution of Masjed Soleiman Petrochemical protested the devastating oversight. A group of bus drivers in the bus terminal of Shiraz held protest rallies and called on their demands to be addressed.
Landowners in the new city of Pardis:
Masjed-e-Soleiman ranchers:
Mehr View Housing project:
Bus drivers in Shiraz:
Wednesday, June 2
Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane gathered in front of the complex’s management building for the second day in a row and protested. A group of Ahwaz Water and Wastewater personnel rallied in front of the company’s building.
Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane (Day 2) :
Thursday, June 3
Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Cane, who say they have not yet received their salaries for the past two months, rallied for the third day in a row in the company’s yard. Police responded violently to the demonstration. In Tehran, BRT bus drivers rallied to call on their demands to be addressed.
The following is an
overview of human rights violations in Iran on February 7th, 2019 based on the
information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
(1) More than four protests were organized across the country on February 7, 2019. Teachers and educators in Isfahan, the investors of Padideh Shandiz in Mashhad, the teachers of Esfarayen in the Ghazvin province, the workers of Karaj municipality, have held protests to request their demands.
(2) Two workers were injured in Gotvand city in Khuzestan province because of negligence in the oversight of safety conditions in their workplaces. Iran ranked 102 in the workplace safety among other countries.
(3) The CEO of Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation confirmed that 50 million Iranians reported to live below the poverty line.
(4) Human Rights Watch announced that Iran’s authorities are violating fair trial standards in the case of eight environmentalists; “Iranian authorities should open a transparent investigation into the torture allegations the accused have raised during the trial.”
(5) Ehsan Karami was banned from appearing on Iran national television. He is a singer, actor, and television host.
(6) The Special Forces attacked Sunni prisoners’ ward in Rajaee Shahr prison because a prisoner, Tohid Ghoreishi, refused to attend the court session. Tohid Ghoreishi, Hamzeh Darvish, Marivan Karkuki, and Namegh Deldel were severely beaten and injured
(7) A number of Ahwazi Arab citizens were arrested by intelligence agents in Hamidiyeh in Ahvaz. Nabi Saedi, Ahmad Saedi, and Shahab Sayahi were arrested on Wednesday, February 6th. No further information was available on their location or the reason for their arrests.
(8) AbuBakr Rostami, a political prisoner on death row in Zahedan prison, began hunger strike after being transferred to the quarantine ward for an unknown reason. He was a medical student at Zabol University of Medical Sciences and spent the past three years in prison on the charges of “acting against national security by collaborating with anti-regime groups” and “Moharebeh” (enmity against God).
(9) A converted Christian, Sina Moloudian, was released on bail on Monday, February 4th. Iranian security officials raided his home and confiscating his belongings in Isfahan on January 23, 2019.
(10) Maryam Mombeini, the wife of Kavous Seyed-Emami, is still barred from leaving the country. Seyed-Emami was the Iranian-Canadian environmentalist who died in prison after being accused of spying.
(11) The Iranian government arrested, imprisoned or executed at least 860 journalists over 30 years frpm 1979 to 2009, according to documents leaked to Reporters Without Boarders (RSF) and at least four journalists were executed.
(12) More than 500 workers have been laid off in Ghazvin province while two workers of Pars Tire Company in Saveh were laid off after the wage protest.
(13) The Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, pardoned or reduce the sentences of a large number of convicts on the 40th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution which is commemorated in Iran.
(14) Five homeless people died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning in Fardis in Alborz province.
