Khuzestan province: The third day of protests against water crisis; Increased death toll concurrently with internet shutdown
18-July-2021
Category: ethnic minorities
18-July-2021
Newsgroup: Ethnic Minorities –
Breathing in Confinement: Last night, July 17, for the third consecutive day, people in various cities of Khuzestan protested against the water shortage. People took to the streets for the third night in the cities of Shush, Susangerd, Kut Abdullah, Ahvaz, Shavur, Karkheh, Kut Seyed Naeem, Shadegan, Hamidiyeh and Hoveyzeh. The rallies began on July 15, 2021.
Since last night, the internet connectivity has been severely disrupted and people in various cities have also faced disruptions in the landline as well as mobile phone networks.
Heavy presence of security forces has been reported in all cities and at least two people have been killed by security agents. In addition, local activists in the city of Ahvaz reported the death of the third protester named Ali Mazraeh.
Qassem Khadiri, who according to the informed sources was only 17 years old, was shot dead by security forces on the second day of protests in Kut Abdullah.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news organ of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, people in Khuzestan protested against the water crisis for the third consecutive day and the protests spread to 17 cities.
Yesterday, the protests continued in the cities of Shush, Susangerd, Ahwaz, Kut Abdullah and Shadegan.
Following the Internet shutdown in large parts of Khuzestan province, there also have been reports on the disruption of landline and mobile phone networks in some cities, specially Susangard, Dezful and Shadegan.
After a large number of people killed and injured in the protests, the governor of Khuzestan said: “We should work in day and night to address public concerns.”
A provincial security official also said that it would take “10 to 15 more days” to supply drinking water to some parts of the province.
According to ISNA, the governor of Khuzestan, Qassem Soleimani Dashtaki, said on July 17 that although water piping has been installed in some areas, but because the wells were dried out or as a result of technical or infrastructural problems, the water was not supplied to the network and the shortage of drinking water continued.
Last night, the protesters in Shus, gathered in front of the house of a member of parliament, but security forces opened fire and wounded some of them.
In addition, in Shus-e- Danial, people blocked the city’s main road to Ahwaz by burning tires.