The Karun Human Rights Organization solemnly commemorates the lives lost, the injured, and the survivors of the nationwide November 2019 protests, with special recognition of those killed in the Mahshour (Mahshahr) marsh massacre. These events, carried out under the direct orders of the Islamic Republic authorities and executed by its military and security forces, represent one of the darkest chapters of state repression in contemporary Iranian history.
This statement is issued to expose the systematic nature of these crimes, document the truth, and call for urgent international action.
Background of the Events
In November 2019, the sudden and steep increase in fuel prices ignited widespread protests rooted in years of discrimination, structural corruption, imposed poverty, mismanagement, and political repression.
The Ahwaz region (Khuzestan Province)—long subjected to economic, security, and cultural discrimination—was one of the main centers of these protests.
Instead of responding through dialogue, accountability, or reform, the Islamic Republic immediately opted for armed suppression. Credible international reports document that IRGC, Basij, and Special Unit forces fired on unarmed civilians using tanks, DShK heavy machine guns, armored vehicles, and military-grade weapons.
According to Amnesty International, between 19–23 November 2019, at least 321 people, including women and children, were killed by government forces. The real number is believed to be significantly higher.
The Mahshour Marsh Massacre
In Mahshour (Mahshahr), the repression reached its peak. Security and IRGC forces surrounded the area, pursued protesters into the marshes, and opened fire with the intent to kill.
Local testimonies indicate that between 40 and 150 people were massacred. Some bodies were never returned to families, others were buried secretly, and many families were subjected to months of intimidation.
Data also show that 23 children and teenagers were among those killed nationwide during the November crackdown, further demonstrating its indiscriminate and wide-ranging nature.
Legal and Human Consequences
The events of November 2019—including the use of lethal force against unarmed civilians, deliberate nationwide internet shutdowns to conceal crimes, mass arbitrary arrests, sham trials, threats to victims’ families, and the torture and prosecution of civil activists and eyewitnesses—reflect the Islamic Republic’s entrenched policy of systematic state violence.
Continuing Repression
Six years later, conditions in the Ahwaz region have not improved. Poverty and structural discrimination have intensified, while arrests and torture of cultural, civil, and environmental activists have increased. Security pressure and public intimidation remain widespread, and freedom of expression, civil activity, and peaceful assembly are almost entirely suppressed.
This ongoing repression demonstrates that November 2019 was not an isolated event, but part of a deliberate and established state policy.
Our Demands
- Immediate establishment of an international fact-finding commission to investigate the November 2019 crackdown and the Mahshour marsh massacre.
- Prosecution of commanders and perpetrators—from operational units to top decision-makers—in independent international courts.
- Material and moral reparations for families and survivors.
- Guarantees of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and civil activity throughout the Ahwaz region and across Iran.
- Urgent international action to end the cycle of repression, violence, and systemic impunity in the Islamic Republic.
Our Position
We state unequivocally:
November 2019 was a state crime.
The killings in the Mahshour marshes constituted a massacre.
Until the truth is revealed, perpetrators are held accountable, and justice is served, the cycle of violence and repression in Iran will continue.
On the sixth anniversary of the Bloody November crackdown, we honor the victims and reaffirm our belief that truth, justice, and freedom will ultimately prevail over the politics of repression.
