Arrests of Protesters Against the Drying of Lake Urmia; Borzin: The Judiciary is Aligned with Security Institutions

A lawyer, following the arrest of several civil activists and citizens protesting the drying of Lake Urmia, told Voice of America that these judicial actions are 'illegal' and that 'the judiciary, forgetting its mission, sometimes executes orders from security institutions.' Mousa Borzin, a lawyer residing in Turkey, mentioned in his interview with Voice of America that protests against the drying of Lake Urmia began in the late 2000s and continue to have an environmental aspect. He added, 'The right to a healthy environment is also enshrined in the constitution, and gathering for it is not against the law.' According to reports received by Voice of America, several civil activists and citizens were arrested on Sunday, September 5, in several cities of East and West Azerbaijan and Ardabil provinces. The arrests of these citizens, at least 17 of whom were named, occurred following a call for protests against the drying of Lake Urmia. Borzin stated that most summonses to the intelligence office and the arrests of some citizens were 'not part of a judicial process' and that 'the intelligence itself decided to either arrest these individuals or obtain commitments from them.' He noted that some were also arrested by judicial order, emphasizing that 'gathering and protesting on such issues is by no means against the law.' According to this human rights lawyer, the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has 'forgotten its mission' and has not only 'aligned itself with security institutions' but also 'sometimes we see that it executes their orders.' He further stated that the issue of Lake Urmia has become a 'crisis in Azerbaijan' and that protests against its drying have started many years ago, recalling that when he was a lawyer there, hundreds were arrested. He mentioned that the current situation is 'much worse' and that Lake Urmia is 'really on its last breaths,' with 'some environmental activists and citizens seeing no other way but to protest, and they are right to do so.' Borzin pointed out that preparations for protests in recent weeks indicate that these protests are 'not out of the question,' although 'when security forces observed this issue,' they summoned some activists in various cities of Azerbaijan, 'including Tabriz, Urmia, and Ardabil,' obtaining commitments from some and arresting others. This lawyer emphasized that he considers the drying of the lake a national and widespread issue, stating that since the residents of northwestern Iran will be 'more affected' by this environmental issue, 'I think we should witness serious protests, especially in the cities of Azerbaijan from now on.' Borzin highlighted the numerous environmental problems across all regions of Iran but stressed that 'the scale of the Lake Urmia disaster is immense, and it can be said that in the history of Iran, this could be the largest environmental disaster that may lead to the displacement of millions of people.' He noted that during Hassan Rouhani's administration, 'they staged shows,' but 'it ultimately became clear that there is no serious will to revive Lake Urmia.' This lawyer emphasized that 'the issue of the death of Mahsa Amini and its anniversary is indeed a serious issue and can lead to a new wave of nationwide protests,' stating that security officials 'are reluctant to allow any protests to occur near the anniversary of Mahsa,' while 'the protests of the people of Azerbaijan have an environmental aspect and are somewhat different.' Previously, Moein Khazaeli, a lawyer, told Voice of America that filing a complaint against those responsible for the death of Lake Urmia is a 'completely legal' action.