PROTESTS IN IRAN’S KHUZESTAN PROVINCE SPREAD TO LORESTAN; MOBILE INTERNET OUTAGES

Fri 23 July 2021:

Protests began on July 15 in Arab majority areas of oil rich Khuzestan, which is home to ethnic Arabs who have long complained of discrimination in Iran. However, the protests have subsequently expanded to other cities in Khuzestan, as well as the western province of Lorestan.

The water crisis has devastated agriculture and livestock farming in Khuzestan and caused power outages in other parts of the country, which sparked protests in several cities earlier this month.

Authorities have blamed the water shortages on a severe drought, but protesters say government corruption and mismanagement, as well as “discriminatory” policies aimed at changing the region’s demography, are to blame.

There were at least 31 protests across Iran on Monday and Tuesday, including rallies by workers and farmers, according to the dissident Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Videos share online shows In port city of Mahshahr. Security forces opened fire on protesters.

City of Aligudarz in Lorestan with demonstrators shouting slogans against Iran’s highest authority, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a video shared on social media showed. Security forces opened fire on protesters in the city, according to another video.

“This is Aligudarz … security forces are shooting ordinary people,” a man was heard saying in one video circulating on social media.

Viewer Discretion Advised

As the internet is all but cut off in #Khuzestan, videos are only slowly trickling in.

This young man from the city of Aligoudarz has been brutally shot by the Islamic Republic.

He was protesting for water. Many more could be dead pic.twitter.com/cwYq6pxU7U

— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) July 22, 2021

Protests in the Al-Haei region, on the Ahvaz-Shush route, in Khuzestan province, Iran pic.twitter.com/zrzns5KvVI

— AVA TODAY (@ava_today) July 22, 2021

Heavy clashes between protesters and anti-riot forces in Shahrak-e Taleqani in Mahshahr, Iran, on Thursday July 22. pic.twitter.com/KkPxqmd2mu

— AVA TODAY (@ava_today) July 22, 2021

Seventh night of protests in Khuzestan province, Iran

Protests in Susangerd (Khafajiyeh), Wednesday night pic.twitter.com/WaANORil6v

— AVA TODAY (@ava_today) July 22, 2021

Independent Press could not independently verify the videos’ authenticity.

Internet service disrupted

Global internet monitoring firm NetBlocks said on Wednesday mobile phone internet service in Iran had been disrupted from July 15, the first day of the protests.

“Network data from NetBlocks confirm a significant regional disruption to mobile internet service in Iran beginning Thursday 15 July 2021, ongoing almost a week later as of Wednesday 21 July 2021,” it said.

⚠️Confirmed: Network data show a significant regional disruption to mobile internet service in #Iran beginning Thursday 15 July 2021 amid widespread protests against water shortages in #Khuzestan Province; incident ongoing 📉

📰 Report: https://t.co/Bq6UWPt71c pic.twitter.com/lIw3wOFvxY

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) July 21, 2021

The effects represent “a near-total internet shutdown that is likely to limit the public’s ability to express political discontent or communicate with each other and the outside world,” NetBlocks added.

Iran has so far confirmed the death of two young men and a police officer in violence connected to the protests, blaming the three deaths on unknown “rioters.”

Activists said the two young men, as well as more protesters, were killed by security forces.

The Ahwaz Human Rights Organization, which monitors human rights abuses in Khuzestan, on Friday named seven citizens it said were killed by security forces in protests across the province. The rights group named 16 others it said were arrested in Khuzestan in connection with the protests.

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