This week, the Ahwaz region (Khuzestan) witnessed a new wave of repression and arbitrary arrests of Sunni Arab citizens and religious activists.
In recent days, at least eight citizens were arrested in the Shavour area (Karkheh County) and Malashieh in Ahwaz following violent nighttime raids conducted without judicial warrants by Iranian security forces and the Iranian security forces (IRGC). These individuals were taken to unknown locations.
Violent Raid in Shavour; Six Citizens Arrested by IRGC Intelligence
According to local sources reported by the Telegram channel “Wave of Ahwaz,” on the early morning of Thursday, October 29, 2023, around 1:30 AM, IRGC intelligence forces stormed the homes of citizens in Shavour (Bait Rashg), part of Karkheh County. During these raids, which were conducted without judicial warrants, agents searched homes and instilled severe fear, even assaulting some family members. In this unlawful action, six Sunni Arab citizens were arrested and taken to unknown locations.
So far, the identities of five of these detainees have been confirmed for the Karoon Human Rights Organization:
- 1_ Hossein Navaseri (20 years old)
- 2_ Ali Doshi, son of Kamel (25 years old)
- 3_ Ali Shoyeh, son of Shibon
- 4_ Amin Shoyeh (20 years old)
- 5_ Javad Konani, son of Kazem (poet and religious activist)
Continued Repression in Malashieh; Uncertainty Surrounding Abbas Tamimi and Hamid Ghazlavi
This wave of repression had also been ongoing in Ahwaz a few days prior. In the early morning of Monday, October 23, 2023, security forces raided the homes of citizens in the Malashieh neighborhood of Ahwaz, arresting two Sunni religious activists named Abbas Soleimani (21 years old) and Hamid Ghazlavi (25 years old).
Shocking reports and eyewitness statements indicate that Iranian security forces resorted to gunfire during the arrest of Hamid Ghazlavi, shooting at him before detaining him.
Despite repeated inquiries from the families of Tamimi and Ghazlavi, security and judicial authorities have refused to provide any information regarding the detaining agency, the charges against them, or their exact location.
The pressure, summons, and arbitrary arrests of Sunni activists in the Ahwaz region (especially in areas like Malashieh and Shavour) are systematic practices. The Iranian intelligence and security apparatus, viewing religious conversion and religious activities through a purely security lens, continuously seeks to marginalize and suppress fundamental religious and ideological freedoms in this region through fabricated cases and the creation of an atmosphere of fear.
The Karoon Human Rights Organization strongly condemns these arbitrary arrests, which are accompanied by violence and illegality, and expresses deep concern for the physical safety and risk of torture against these eight citizens in security detention centers. The organization calls for an end to the secrecy of the intelligence agencies, immediate clarification regarding the status of the detainees, assurance of the right to contact and visit family members, access to independent legal counsel, and their unconditional release.
