The commander of Khuzestan Police Force announced the arrest of the organizers of demonstration in Behbahan
22-July-2020
Category: Freedom of Expression
Breathing in Confinement: On the night of July 20, 2020, the police commander in Khuzestan Province said: “All the instigators for an illegal and norm-breaking rally in Behbahan were identified and arrested.”
On Sunday night July 20, in a talk with the IRNA, Haidar Abbaszadeh, the police commander in Khuzestan Province, referring to the protesters in Behbahan as a small number, said: “Last Thursday night, a small number of Behbahan citizens gathered in Bank Melli Square under the pretext of high prices and chanted anti-government slogans! The instigators were identified and arrested.” He however, did not disclose the number and identities of the detainees as well as their whereabouts.
It needs to be mentioned that on the night of Thursday, July 16, 2020, the people in Behbahan gathered to protest against the economic hardship and chanted slogans against the whole government. According to the news published in social media, dozens of citizens were arrested for participating in these rallies and were transferred to an unknown location. Among the detainees was Farzaneh Ansarifar, the sister of Farzad Ansarifar, one of the killed November 2019 protesters. Farzaneh has recently been transferred to Ahvaz Prison.
The videos released from the rally show people chanting slogans such as: “we do not want the Islamic Republic” “The Mullahs must get lost”; “Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I sacrifice my life for Iran”; “Iranians die, but don’t accept humiliation” and…