Reasons for the Ban on Protests in Khuzestan: "Preventing Political and Security Exploitation"

Ali Qasempoor, the social deputy of the Khuzestan police command, stated regarding the announcement of a ban on holding protest gatherings in the province that the reason for issuing this statement was "to prevent political and security exploitation, to avoid traffic congestion and disruption of people's access to hospitals near the governor's office, and to ensure the smooth movement of vehicles and people." According to ISNA news agency, this police official said on Tuesday, February 21, that "there was a possibility of exploitation of these gatherings by some, and on the other hand, institutions and offices are indeed working on the issues raised in the protests of the previous day to prevent the recurrence of these problems and to resolve them." The Khuzestan police command announced on Friday, February 18, that any gathering in front of the Khuzestan governor's office would be banned from Saturday, February 19. The statement indicated that any march or gathering without a permit would be illegal and those responsible for organizing it would be treated as violators of the law. The police action comes at a time when, according to Article 27 of the Iranian Constitution, "the formation of gatherings and marches, without carrying weapons, is free as long as it does not disrupt the principles of Islam." Previously, according to ISNA, Ali Sari, a member of parliament from Ahvaz, criticized the performance of the Rouhani government, referring to recent protests by the people of Ahvaz regarding water transfer, dust phenomena, and nationwide power outages, stating: "Everyone acknowledges that these gatherings were not organized by a group but were spontaneous by the people." This parliament member added: "These protests are the people's right because they have no water, no electricity, and their health is also threatened. Even during the war, our people did not face such problems, so the people's protests are their right." Following water and electricity outages in some areas of Khuzestan province, at least five times last week, groups of citizens from Ahvaz and other cities in Khuzestan gathered in front of the governor's office. Since February 11, the dust crisis has caused several water outages in cities of Khuzestan province, and prior to that, on February 1, following a dust storm in 10 cities of Khuzestan province, electricity, water, and internet in Ahvaz were cut off, and offices and schools in the city were closed. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated on Tuesday, February 21, that the recent events in Khuzestan "tear the heart of man," and considered addressing this situation a duty of the officials. According to news agencies, he referred to the current situation in Khuzestan province and the cutting off of water, electricity, and communication devices in cold weather in some other parts of Iran, adding: "Officials have a duty to address these problems, and if anyone cares about the people, they cannot remain indifferent to the difficult issues of Khuzestan." He also deemed it necessary to assist flood-affected people in southern Iran. In recent days, alongside the dust crisis in Khuzestan province, parts of Iran have witnessed heavy snowfall and rain, as well as floods that have caused significant damage. A day before the Iranian leader's remarks, Masoumeh Ebtekar, head of the Environmental Protection Organization, stated that "ground operations related to planting saplings in 40,000 hectares of the super-critical center in Khuzestan" have begun. Ayatollah Khamenei criticized "some who, instead of solving the dust issue, attribute the responsibility to predecessors," adding: "It is true that some issues require long-term solutions, but the statement that the current situation is the result of the predecessors' negligence is not enough and does not solve any problems; in a few days, others will also judge us for not doing anything to remedy the people's problems." In this context, according to Khabar Online, Ali Motahari, the deputy speaker of parliament, called on the government on Tuesday to present an urgent bill to withdraw from the National Development Fund to address natural crises in the country, including the situation in Khuzestan. Mr. Motahari said: "If the government feels it needs a large budget, it should send an urgent bill to parliament to withdraw from the National Development Fund so that a fundamental plan can be implemented to avoid facing these unfortunate events in the coming years." According to ISNA, he also defended the actions of the Rouhani government, stating: "The government has taken some actions to solve the problems of Khuzestan and has made arrangements for planting saplings in the sources of dust." According to ISNA, Abbas Papi-Zadeh, a member of parliament from Dezful, also referred to the problems of the people of Khuzestan, saying: "If anyone does not care about the health of the people, at least think about the oil revenues of Khuzestan," adding: "The electricity cut in Khuzestan takes away 800,000 barrels per day of oil revenue from us, and this is dangerous in a situation where the country is in dire need of resources." This parliament member continued by referring to the sources of dust in Khuzestan, stating: "The transfer of water from the headwaters of Dez and the destruction of Khuzestan's green pastures and the dryness around the Sharifiyeh Bridge due to mismanagement in water resource distribution are the sources of dust, not unacceptable excuses regarding ISIS and Iraq and neighboring countries." Papi-Zadeh also criticized the government's performance, stating: "Every year when parliament allocated a budget to control dust, the government removed it." Razi Noori, a member of parliament from Shush, also told ISNA that "about 90% of the dust originates from domestic sources, and it is expected that officials will control the domestic dust production centers." He called for "releasing water to the dried wetlands and preventing unscientific dam constructions" to solve the dust problem, adding: "Planting saplings and applying mulch may temporarily address the dust issue, but the main and fundamental solution is to release water in the wetlands." The head of the Environmental Protection Organization criticized "the efforts of some who, as he described, deliberately try to make the government appear indifferent" regarding water transfer plans, stating that "no plan has been implemented without an environmental assessment." He referred to the Sabzkouh Tunnel to Chahakhor, adding: "Due to the intense pressures and severe conflicts they created, we did not allow this project to proceed until they obtain permission; they cannot be executed without it." However, Ms. Ebtekar did not mention the transfer of water from the Karun River, which has caused many protests and criticisms. Critics of the government have stated that the transfer of water from the Karun River in previous years has had detrimental effects on agriculture and drinking water for the people of Khuzestan. According to ISNA, Razi Noori, a member of parliament from Shush, welcomed the government's realization that previous temporary solutions were not effective, stating: "Khuzestan provides almost all of Iran's income due to oil production and is also the country's agricultural hub; if Khuzestan faces problems, the entire country will face problems." In the past, criticisms have also been directed at Iranian governments after the eight-year war with Iraq for neglecting the problems of Khuzestan province and its residents.