Amnesty International Expresses Concern Over the Detention of Hundreds in Khuzestan

On Tuesday, November 13, Amnesty International called on Iranian authorities to clarify the situation of hundreds of residents of Khuzestan province who have been detained in recent months and do not have access to lawyers or their families. In its statement regarding reports of a new wave of executions in Ahvaz, Amnesty International noted that in recent days, 'Ahwazi Arab' activists abroad have informed them that 22 men, including a civil activist named Mohammad Momeni Timas, have been executed. According to these sources, six hundred people were detained following a deadly attack on a military parade in Ahvaz on September 22. Reports indicate that Mohammad Momeni Timas, 58, Nasar Momeni Timas (the eldest son of Mohammad Momeni Timas), Ahmad Heydari, 30, and Hatam Savari, 24, were among those detained. In this context, Amnesty International stated that Ahmad Heydari, a ceramic seller, was arrested days after the attack on the Ahvaz parade, but his family was unaware of his situation until November 11 (two days ago) when they were summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence. Amnesty International reported conflicting information regarding the execution of 22 individuals in connection with the Ahvaz attack. The Ministry of Intelligence informed Ahmad Heydari's family that he was executed on November 8. Officials from the Ministry also told Mr. Heydari's family that no body would be handed over to them and that they had no right to hold a mourning ceremony. Meanwhile, Gholamreza Shariati, the governor of Khuzestan, dismissed the news of the execution of 22 individuals as 'utterly false' but stated that the detainees had been 'charged.' In this regard, Philip Luther, director of North Africa and Middle East research at Amnesty International, stated that while there is no information about the whereabouts of detainees at risk of execution, the governor's blanket denial cannot reassure families who have been unaware of their loved ones since their arrest. Philip Luther added that it is hard to imagine that these individuals (who are at risk of execution) have had a fair trial during their weeks of detention, regardless of whether they had the opportunity to appeal the issued execution sentence. He further stated that reports regarding these executions heighten our concern for the situation of hundreds of Arab citizens in Khuzestan who have been detained following the Ahvaz attack and may face the risk of execution or mistreatment and harsh treatment. Amnesty International has called on Iranian authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of all detainees and allow lawyers and families access to the detainees. In the attack on the military parade in Ahvaz on September 22, 24 people were killed, including a four-year-old child named Mohammad Taha Aghdami. The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence announced on October 24 that 22 individuals had been arrested in Ahvaz and labeled them as 'the perpetrators' of the attack on the armed forces parade in the city. Meanwhile, reports of the detention of other individuals have also emerged, and Amnesty International announced on November 2 that following this attack, there has been an increase in the 'widespread crackdown' on political and ethnic activists in Khuzestan province, with hundreds detained. 'Yaqoub Har Al-Tastri,' who introduced himself as the spokesman for the 'Arab Liberation Movement of Ahvaz,' attributed the attack on the armed forces parade in Ahvaz to the 'National Resistance of Ahvaz.' However, the ISIS group officially claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Islamic Republic retaliated by launching several missiles at the alleged headquarters of this group in Syrian territory.