Iran’s intelligence and security forces have rounded up and detained hundreds in Ahvaz, Khoramshahr, Sosangerd, and Abadan, in what appears to be an escalating crackdown in Iran’s Khuzestan province, following an attack on a military parade in the provincial capital, Ahvaz.
Although the Ministry of Intelligence issued a statement on September 24, stating ghag only 22 people were arrested with links to the attack, the reported scale of the arrests in recent days is alarming.
According to activists and family members, some of the arrests incorporated whole families with even children being detained.
Reports indicate the arrests have been carried out without warrants usually following home raids of the Arabs, confiscating their personal belongings.
Iranian authorities have not given a reason for the arrests or revealed the status and whereabouts of the detainees.
One family said that their son was detained without any explanation by security forces, adding that he was not involved in any political activities and was an environmental activist.
Without any leads and affiliation with the military parade attack many of the detainees had previous arrest records.
In a video carried by state broadcaster IRIB, a number of blindfolded men who were arrested following a military parade attack, were identified by human rights activists.
There was no way to confirm the identities of all the detainees, some human rights news websites, however, have reported that at least 300 people were arrested, releasing the names of several detainees.
Names of people reported arrested (with their age, when available) in Khuzestan Province since September 24 by activists;
1. Jamil Heydari, 33
2. Majed Heydari, 25
3. Hamad Hamri, 29
4. Seyyed Jasem Rahmani (Mousavi), 33
5. Zoheiri
6. Zamel Heydari, along with his family
7. Majed Cheldavi
8. Seyyed Hamoud Rahmani(Mousavi)
9. Ali Savari, 23
10. Hatam Savari
11. Adnan Savari
12. Hossein Heydari
13. Ahmad Bavi
14. Abdolrahman Khasraji, 32
15. Mehdi Sa’edi, 27
16. Javad Badavi, 26
17. Mehdi Kouti
18. Ali Kouti
19. Sattar Kouti
