Iran: Crackdown Intensifies Ahead of 10th Anniversary of 15 April 2005 Ahwazi Intifada (Uprising)

Iranian security force have since last month arrested and detained many Ahwazi Arabs including at least four 14-16-year- old minors. Even teachers, poets and preachers have not survived persecution.

The arrests took place in Ahwaz, Mohammara (Khoramshahr), Hamidiya, Falhiya (Shadegan), Khafjiya (Sosangerd).

On 8 April 2015 Iran arrested the Ahwazi poet ,Ahmad Sabhan Al Hazbawi, for a poem supporting the Operation Decisive Storm, a coalition of ten countries participating in the war against the Houthi movement in Yemen. He was arrested at his perfume shop in Kut Abdullah town near Ahwaz. Sources and eyewitnesses have confirmed seeing masked officers, believed to be from the Intelligence service, beating and dragging him to the ground from his shop to a vehicle.

On 6 April the security forces arrested a 32-year-old from a school where he teaches and took him to unknown location.

On 3 April Ahwazi protested in street of Hay Al Thoura (Koi Alawi) district, Ahwaz against Iran’s oppressive policies and in solidarity of Syrian revolution by raising the Syria’s opposition flag and chanted in support of Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen.  In the following days masked security forces arrested hundreds.

On 29 March 2015 people protested in solidarity with Younes and against Iran’s apartheid, ethnic cleansing and oppressive policies against Ahwazis. However,  local sources said  that some of those arrested are still being detained and are facing criminal charges.

On 23 March 2015 following the self-immolation and death of Younes Asakrah, Arab street vendor and father of two, security forces arrested scores of Arab mourners who had came from different cities to pay their respect and show solidarity with his family. The day before the authorities had detained Younes’s father, brother and a tribal leader and forced them to sign a document pledging to mourn their son privately outside the city. But hundreds of angry mourners defiantly participated in the procession and the funeral turned to an angry protest against the racist and oppressive regime of Iran,

On 17 March 2015 the football match between, a Saudi team Al Hilal and local Fould Ahwazi, turned into a massive protest after Arab youth displayed a banner in Arabic which read “We are all Younes”, wearin Arabic dress and chanted against the authorities for neglecting Younes and his family. Security forces arrested more than 1,000 Ahwaz Arab protesters. A police spokesman later told the media that detainees were released after signing a pledge but declined to specify the contents of the pledges. 

On 10 March 2015 Ahmad Said Al Swaidi , sunni preacher from Hajjiya village, Khafajiya, 55 km west Ahwazi, was arrested by intelligence agents at his home. His whereabouts still unknown.

 Ahwazi Sources have provided the names detained over the past several weeks:

At least 50 people were arrested in Hamidiya last night, 12 April 2015, including: 

·         Qais Obaidawi

·         Mohammad Neisi

·         Adel Neisi

·         Hakim Zabi

·         Mohammad Sayyahi

·         Hakim Doraqi, from Ahwaz city

     Arrests on 8 and 9April in Khafajieh (Sosangered)

·         Ali Saedi, Khafajiya, (23-year-old)

·         Sadeq Sari,(24)

·         Rasoul Naderi

·         Hassoun Jallali

  Arrests on 7 April 2015 , Ahwaz city, Hay Al Thoura (Koi Alawi District)

·         Basem Jasem  Batrani

·         Mamoud Abdul Ali Sawari

·         Mustafa Sheltaq Haidari

·         Reyad Fares

·         A. Hashem

  6 April arrestee,  Ahwazi, Malashiya District

·         Mohammad Abed Afrawi, (24)

·         Majed Sudani, (24)

·         Sadeq Karkar Haidari, (25) arrested on 9 April

       Arrests on 3,4 and 5  in Hamidieh, 25 Km west of Ahwaz

·         Hadi Karim Marwani, (23)

·         Malek Ali Shakhi, (25)

·         Salem Kadhim Atshani (Abu Khazaal)

·         Malek  Ali Shakhi

·         Hadi Karim Marwani

·         Hatam Ejlaw, Ebayyat

·         Ahamd Nasser Moramadi

·         Moslem Khasraji

·         Ali Taher Hardani, (32) teacher, Hamidieh, arrested on 6 April from school

  Arrests on 29 and 20 March 2015 , Shush:

·         Mohammad Dabbat,

·         Hassan Dabbat,

·         Mustafa Sabiti Kaabi, (23)

·         Mohammad Motar,(19),

·         Hamed Ali Hussein, (15),

·         Sayed Mohammad Allawi,

·         Mohammed Jomma Kenani, (21)

·         Sheikh Khaled Shoja Ali Zamel Al Kenani

·         Sheikh Farhan Qasem Mohammad Al Kenani

·         Sheikh Anat Mohammd Kenani

  Arrests on 17 March, Ahwazi, Hay Al Thoura (Alawi District):

·         Reda Naqrawi, (35)

·         Ali hanoun Sari

·         Hassan Sari

·         Mohaamad Sari, (29)

·         Hamid Sawari, (35)

·         Sayed Said Sawari, (35)

·         Majed Sawari, (32)

 Arrests on 14 March 2015, Dor Khewain village near Mohammarah  (Khorramshahr):

·         Saad Zewaidat, (30)

·         Adnan Zewidat, (26)

·         Adel Zewaidat, (25)

·         Milad Zewaidat, (19)

·         Nabil Zewaidat, (19)

·         Emad Zewaidat, (19)