Security forces in the city of Ahvaz the capital of oil rich Khuzestan province, South Western Iran, raided over the past week several districts in the city and arrested some of the residents.

The arrests are made on the eve of the 2005 protest rally in the city, according to ‘Alarabiya Net Farsi’ on April 15.

The 2005 protest rally was held after a letter attributed to Mohammad-Ali Abtahi, head of Presidential office at the time, was released, in which the province’s demographic change policy was communicated to a number of organs in the province.

Ahvaz activists report that Ahvaz intelligence forces arrested five activists and took them to an unknown location on Friday night, April 5. The report also points to another young man, Khaled Chayan(Sharifi), 25, who was arrested by the Revolutionary Guards intelligence forces.

Also two cultural activists named Khalil Ghafeli, 37, and Mostafa Savari, 38, were arrested on Thursday April 4 by intelligence forces and taken to an unknown location. The security forces also confiscated the detainees’ personal belongings, including some of their books, their PCs, and smart phones, the report says.

It should be pointed out the families of the detainees have not yet been informed of their whereabouts or status.

Two other men, Kazem Sorkhi, 45, and Amir Sorkhi, 25, were also arrested by security forces last week, while their families say that the two have been taken to Abolfazl Al-Abbas Headquarters, operating under Ahvaz intelligence office.

The security forces have used excessive violence during the arrests, so as to create a climate of fear, the reports say.

Ahvaz Arab people commemorate each year on these days the anniversary of 2005 protest rally, while the security forces make widespread arrests to prevent people from holding any kind of demonstrations.

Source: / iranhumanrights /