Iran’s Ahwazi Arabs subjected to mass arrests as protests sweep across the province

Security forces have rounded up and detained at least 400 Iran’s Ahwazi Arabs since early April, including several youth and women, in crackdown on peaceful protests over insults by state TV against Iran’s Arab community. A good number of those arrested are under 20 years of age.

Reports indicate plainclothes and intelligence agents went door to door to homes and stores, arresting people on a daily basis. In a recently received footage the anti-riot units are seen, resorting to violence in arresting the protesters.

Iranian authorities have not given a reason for the arrests or revealed the status and whereabouts of many detainees, placing them at increased risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

• No reports of Ali Khasraji, 23, who was arrested on March 30.
• Seyed Fallah Mousavi, 23, from the neighbourhood of Ein Do in the west of Ahvaz, was arrested on April 4.
• Meysam Alvani, 19, was arrested in Ein Do district bazaar (Seyed Karim) on April 4.
• Security forces arrested Mousa Khaledi, a teacher from the town of Ramshir, on April 5.
• Mohammad Bayanat Bani, 17 from the neighbourhood of Kuy-e Alavi in Ahvaz was arrested on April 5 at 5.30 a.m. There is no news available on his status.
• Nader Al-Bughabish was arrested on April 6 and was transferred to an unknown location.
• Hossein Neisi, from the neighbourhood of Sousangerd in Khuzestan Province was arrested on April 7 and was transferred to an unknown location.

Khuzestan province, where much of Iran’s oil and gas reserves are located, has a large Arab population, estimated at between 2.5 and 5 million. Despite Khuzestan’s natural resource wealth, the province is plagued with severe socioeconomic deprivation and high levels of air and water pollution. Concentrated in poor urban outskirts lacking in basic facilities, many Iranian Arabs have alleged that the government systematically discriminates against them, particularly in employment, housing, access to political office, and the exercise of cultural, civil, and political rights. The inability to use their mother language as a medium of instruction for primary education is also a source of deep resentment and frustration.

Here are the names of some people reported arrested in Khuzestan Province since the beginning of protests over the insults by state TV against Iran’s Arab community.

1. Khadijeh Neisi
2. Ayesheh Neisi
3. Mahmoud Bayat Sayah
4. Khaled Mahavi
5. Mansour Amini
6. Vasam Savari
7. Shahab Na’ami
8. Hassan Kanani
9. Ali Khasraji
10. Jom’ah Savari
11. Suri Sa’alabi
12. Kazem Tarafi
13. Salman Abiat
14. Salah Baghlani
15. Ali Janadaleh
16. Sa’ad Navasari
17. Sajjad Jamei
18. Mohammad Jalil Konun
19. Assad Navasari
20. Mohammad Fatlavi
21. Foad Hardani
22. Fazel Avadi
23. Fazel Al-busabih
24. Ebrahim Al-buali
25. Sattar Al-busabih
26. Pirouz Al-busabih
27. Mohammad Al-bughabish
28. Hamid Al-bughabish
29. Reza Al-bughabish
30. Mehdi Al-bughabish
31. Mohammad Hezbian
32. Najem Savari
33. Naeim Hamidi