Clashes Between Citizens of Shadgan and Police Following the Death of a Young Man

The city of Shadgan in Khuzestan, alongside protests against air and water pollution and frequent power outages in the province, witnessed some protests due to the death of a young man at the hands of the police. These unrests reportedly began after a chase that led to the death of a young man in the Aboudi neighborhood of Shadgan. Hassan Abughbish is the name of the young man who, according to some Arab activists, lost his life due to police gunfire near the date market of this city. These activists stated that Abughbish was shopping in the market when, during the chase of two motorcyclists and police shooting at them, he was struck by a bullet and died. The news agency 'HRANA' also quoted an eyewitness who said that the shooting and chase occurred because two motorcyclists fled from the police due to not having a driving license. This eyewitness mentioned that the police opened fire in the center of the date market, resulting in Abughbish's death and injuries to the two motorcyclists. The young man's death from a bullet wound to his head on Thursday evening (February 10) led to the start of protests in the city, with reports indicating that the police station in the city was also set on fire. Reports also indicated that security forces imposed some restrictions on the family of the deceased young man, including a ban on holding mourning ceremonies. The presence of special police units in Shadgan and other incidents in various parts of the city temporarily created an uneasy and security-focused atmosphere. Afzal Mirzaeifar, the head of the judiciary in Shadgan, announced three days after the protests began that the shooting occurred during a chase of drug trafficking suspects by the police. Mirzaeifar told the ILNA news agency that during this shooting, a 'third party' was killed, and that 'the judiciary will pursue the necessary actions to ensure justice for the innocent person swiftly and decisively.' This judicial official also indirectly referred to the unrest in Shadgan, stating that 'the judiciary will seriously deal with those who disrupt public security and those who spread false news in cyberspace.' Shadgan is located 97 kilometers from Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan province, where a young man named Razi Ghantari (Al-Bukhnaf) was also killed by police gunfire in October 2013. Police shootings during chases and urban conflicts have left many victims and injured over the years, with no accurate statistics available on the number of these victims. The Islamic Republic police are considered one of the harshest police forces in the world, having owed about six billion tomans in blood money to the public in 2008 alone. Mehdi Mohammadi Far, the then-legal and parliamentary affairs deputy of the police, announced this figure, stating that this amount was due to 'errors' by police officers. Mohammadi Far stated that 400 police officers had been convicted for shooting errors and reported the police's annual blood money budget as 800 million tomans. This blood money debt increased to 12 billion tomans in 2009, according to Alireza Jazini, the deputy coordinator of the police, who also stated that 'the law on the use of weapons and the principle of shooting must be taught to the personnel of the police.' Each year, a significant number of police forces are tried or dismissed due to mistaken shootings or violent confrontations. In 2014, Ibrahim Mehranfar, head of the judiciary organization of the armed forces in Isfahan province, reported that the police were ordered to pay 60 billion rials in blood money to 128 injured farmers during the unrest in eastern Isfahan in 2011. In December 2012, a gathering of farmers in the city of Khorasgan in Isfahan province turned violent due to police intervention, with the Revolutionary Guards being identified as the main accused in these events. Unrest in Isfahan province began after the breaking of a water pipeline transferring water from Isfahan to Yazd in protest against the cutting off of water to farmers in the province and the authorities' indifference to these protests, escalating with police intervention. The Iranian police have little consideration for the use of weapons, which has also faced criticism from Abbas Jafari Dolat Abadi, the Tehran prosecutor, who on January 19, 2016, urged the police to 'adhere to the law on the use of weapons.' Jafari Dolat Abadi stated that 'since the beginning of this year, several thieves and suspects have been killed in clashes with the police.'