People’s protests against water crisis is ongoing across Khuzestan; Two of the protesters killed and wounded in Shadegan
17-July-2021
Category: ethnic minorities
July 17, 2021
Newsgroup: Ethnic Minorities –
Breathing in Confinement: Last night, July 16, 2021, people in various cities of Khuzestan Province, such as Mahshahr, Susangard, Hovayzeh, Shadegan, Shoush and Ahvaz, took to the streets for the second day in a row, to protest the water crisis.
During the uprisings in Shadegan, a protester was shot dead and a 10-year-old child was wounded.
According to “Breathing in Confinement”, the news organ of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, on the second day of the widespread uprisings in Khuzestan, against the water crisis which has ruined the careers and lives of most people, a young protester was killed in Shadegan.
Confirming the news, the supervising governor of Shadegan attributed the killing of the young man to the “opportunists and rioters.” He said: “finding the perpetrators is on the agenda of the police and security forces.”
Mustafa Naimawi the young protester killed in Shadegan.
The protesters chanted against water shortage and the systematic discriminatory policies of the Islamic Republic Authorities. Policies such as cutting off the farmers’ water share, which has led to the drying out of agricultural lands as well as the ponds and lagoons. People believe that the government is deliberately destroying the economy and environment of Khuzestan to change its population structure.
Despite the heavy presence of security forces and the noises of gunshots, people in the streets chanted “I am thirsty”, “Water is my right”, and “Where is our Hur? (Hur Al Azim Marshes), Where is our water?”
Even though the protesters gathered peacefully in the streets, from the first day of the uprisings, the Islamic Republic Authorities, deployed the police and counter-insurgency units to the streets, who fired tear gases to disperse the protesters and even opened fire on them.
Abdullah Izadpanah, chairman of the Assembly of Members of Parliaments from Khuzestan Province, referring to the immethodical transfers of water from Khuzestan to the central regions of Iran said that: “Water transfer has caused Khuzestan to fall into this failing position.”
According to Izadpanah, Khuzestan has got into this difficulty because of the erroneous water transfer policies. He added: “Khuzestan pays the price for the government’s imprudence and wrong decisions. We must stop this imprudence, otherwise Khuzestan will be destroyed.”