According to reports received by the Karoon Human Rights Organization, Adnan Shanavi (Al-Bousbaih), a young Arab man from Ma’shour (Mahshahr), attempted suicide on 11 August 2026 following months of unsuccessful efforts to find employment and severe financial hardship. He was transferred to Narges Hospital, where his life was saved.
According to the report, Shanavi had previously been dismissed from Salman Farsi and Takht-e Jamshid companies and had remained without a salary or insurance coverage for approximately six months. The 35-year-old Arab man is the sole provider for a vulnerable family that includes his blind and seriously ill father, a brother with Down syndrome, and two young children.
Reports indicate that inappropriate treatment at the Labour Office of the Ma’shour Special Economic Zone and the lack of employment opportunities have exacerbated the economic pressures facing the young man. Local elders and community leaders have also issued a statement protesting discrimination in recruitment, the neglect of the situation of local young people, and working conditions for labourers in the petrochemical industries.
In this connection, Ebrahim Peyrayesh, Executive Secretary of the Imam Khomeini Port Labour House, also reported a worsening of employment and financial difficulties among workers in Ma’shour and the unsuccessful suicide attempt of a dismissed worker. The ILNA news agency reported that a dismissed worker from the Ma’shour petrochemical industries attempted suicide on Tuesday, 11 August, during a protest outside the city’s Labour Office. The attempt was prevented through the intervention of workers present at the scene, and the man was subsequently transferred to hospital.
Peyrayesh also reported that more than 20 employees of Petronad Company had been dismissed during wartime conditions, while a number of workers remained in limbo, faced wage-related problems, and were affected by the failure to implement certain decisions issued by labour dispute resolution boards and judicial rulings concerning companies in the region.
According to him, some companies have continued their projects while refusing to comply with judicial rulings or reinstate dismissed workers. This situation has further increased economic pressure on workers and their families.
“Discrimination in Recruitment and Calls for Equal Opportunities”
In their statement, local elders and community leaders called for the creation of employment opportunities for indigenous Arab youth, an end to discrimination in recruitment and within the petrochemical industries, and greater accountability from officials. They also called for the removal of ineffective managers and for immediate attention to the situation of Adnan Shanavi and other unemployed young people in the region.
This situation continues despite the fact that the port city of Ma’shour is one of Iran’s most important industrial and petrochemical centres. Nevertheless, a significant number of local workers continue to face unemployment, dismissal, financial hardship, and a lack of job security.
“Condemnation and Call for Action”
The Karoon Human Rights Organization expresses deep concern over the situation of Adnan Shanavi and other local workers and young people in Ma’shour. The organization strongly condemns discriminatory employment practices, the failure to address workers’ demands, dismissals without adequate livelihood support, and the failure to implement legal and judicial rulings.
The organization calls on regional authorities and relevant institutions to urgently address the situation of Adnan Shanavi and other dismissed workers, facilitate their return to employment, ensure their legal entitlements, and create equal employment opportunities for local young people. It also calls for an end to discrimination and the neglect of workers’ rights.
