More than two weeks after the suppression of mass protests in Khuzestan province, Hamshahri Online reported on Thursday, that 300 people have been arrested in the city of Susangard alone.
According to the report, Susangard had the highest turnout during the recent protests in Khuzestan, with rallies of an estimated 12,000 people.
The report denied the use of live ammunition by the special police unit and called the killing of protesters at recent rallies “strange.”
The Iranian regime long has blamed protesters for deaths during demonstrators in unrest, despite its history of bloody crackdowns.
This is while, security forces resorted to lethal force, using live bullets, pellet guns, and tear gas to crush protests that erupted on July 15 and continued for 10 days in over 35 cities across the country.
At least 12 locals were killed by the state security forces during the Khuzestan water protests.
A recent unconfirmed report said 18-year-old Mehdi Habibalsari, who was injured by security forces in Susangerd on July 17, also passed away.
Many injured protesters did not go to hospitals to avoid arrests. By the sixth night of the protests, locals targeted the regime’s Supreme Leader, chanting “Down with Khamenei!” and “We don’t want the Islamic Republic!”, among other anti-regime slogans.
Netblocks, an organization that monitors international Internet outages, reported ongoing internet disruptions in the southwestern province of Khuzestan starting on July 15.
Ongoing arrests following water protests
Widespread arrests are ongoing after the water shortage protests in Khuzestan Province.
There have been several reports that security forces have been going to homes of civil activists and carrying out house arrests.
In the past week, there were reports of minors arrested and only released on bail for large sums. An MP of Ahvaz in southwestern Iran said the exact numbers of detainees are not clear but he is told that those who were detained for being in the protests and did not commit “criminal acts” are to be released.
In the past week, there were reports of minors arrested and only released on bail for large sums. An MP of Ahvaz in southwestern Iran said the exact numbers of detainees are not clear but he is told that those who were detained for being in the protests and did not commit “criminal acts” are to be released.
Previously, Ali Shamkhani, Head of the Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje’i, Iran’s new Chief Justice both said those detained who did not commit “criminal acts” are to be released. Many lawyers and experts questioned why they were detained in the first place if they did not commit criminal acts, considering in Iran’s law, peaceful protests are allowed.
