Dozens of Job Seekers Arrested in Takab Transferred to Security Detention Centers in Urmia

Reports indicate that 46 detainees from the village of "Agh Dareh Vosati" in Takab County have been transferred to security detention centers in Urmia. The Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported on Thursday, August 3, that the transfer of the detainees occurred on Tuesday, August 1. Hengaw had previously announced that around 50 residents of this village were arrested during a raid by law enforcement and special forces on the morning of Monday, August 1. This mass arrest followed a gathering on Sunday by the villagers protesting the non-employment of local people in the Agh Dareh gold mine. During that gathering, at least three protesters named Nasser Bahramian, Hojjat Momenzadeh, and Armin Nikzad were severely injured and transferred to hospitals in Urmia and Zanjan. Following this, Reza Mozaffar, the police chief of Takab County, labeled the protesting villagers as "disturbing public order and security" and announced their arrest for what he called an "illegal gathering." Mehdi Taghizadeh, the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Takab, also confirmed the arrest of the protesters, claiming that a legal case has been opened against the offenders. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network noted regarding the arrests of the protesters in Agh Dareh Vosati that "over the past year, several officials from West Azerbaijan Province had promised the villagers that a decision had been made to employ a number of local workers in the gold mine, but no action has been taken in this regard so far." The Kurdpress news agency reported on Sunday that "local witnesses have reported the dismissal of local workers under false pretenses and the broken promises of the mine owner regarding continued service or employment." According to this report, the management of the mine, despite having substantial revenues, has essentially ignored the demands of the people in this region and has refrained from meeting even their minimum demands. The Agh Dareh gold mine is considered the second-largest gold mine in Iran. This is not the first protest by the residents of Agh Dareh regarding employment at this gold mine. Previously, on June 15, 2017, a number of residents from the villages of Agh Dareh Olya, Vosati, Sofla, and Angord gathered in protest against widespread unemployment and the destruction of pastures due to the consequences of mining activities. This gathering turned violent due to complaints from the mine owners and intervention by law enforcement, resulting in 13 injuries. Before that, 17 dismissed workers from the Agh Dareh mine were sentenced to fines, imprisonment, and 30 to 100 lashes on charges of "disturbing public order." The issuance of these sentences sparked widespread protests from activists and labor, civil, and social organizations, as well as users of social media. In recent years, with the expansion of labor and professional protests in Iran, the security and judicial apparatus of the Islamic Republic has intensified its crackdown on protesters. These crackdowns have led to the widespread arrest of workers, teachers, retirees, and their activists. Nevertheless, protests continue in various regions of Iran.