Two protesters killed in Khuzestan protests; protesters shot in Susangerd

Protests continued in various cities in Khuzestan province on Sunday evening, July 17, and videos posted on social media show continuous shooting, especially in the city of Susangerd.

Some reports also indicate that at least one protester in Susangerd was injured by gunfire from the forces.

Various sources have confirmed that at least two people have been killed during the protests in Khuzestan province, while one member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has called the totality of these events a "formal conspiracy."

Mahmoud Ahmadi-Bighsh, a representative from Shazand in the parliament, wrote on Twitter that it "smells of blood and a false conspiracy," referring to the escalating water crisis in the province.

He did not elaborate further on this statement, but said that water should be released to these areas to "extinguish the fire."

Majid Naserinejad, a representative from Shadegan in the parliament, has also said that "the issue is not a joke" and that "the enemy is seeking chaos."

Meanwhile, Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, Vice President of Iran and Head of the Planning and Budget Organization, said on Sunday, July 17, that the cabinet had agreed to allocate 1.15 billion tomans "to address the problems of Khuzestan."

According to Deputy President Hassan Rouhani, half of this amount will be allocated to Khuzestan by the Planning and Budget Organization on Sunday.

During the protest rallies held over the past three nights, which spread to at least 17 cities in Khuzestan, including Ahvaz, Susangerd, Shadegan, Shush, Shavur, and Karkheh, at least two protesters were killed by Iranian security forces.

According to human rights sources, Mustafa Naimawi, a 30-year-old man, and Qasem Khuzairi, a 17-year-old teenager, are two protesters who lost their lives due to gunshot wounds.

The Human Rights Information Center in Iran wrote that Mr. Khuzairi was "injured by security forces' gunfire" and died in hospital.

Iranian judicial and military officials have not yet commented on the two dead protesters, but Omid Sabripour, the acting governor of Shadegan, has said that Mustafa Naeemavi was killed by "rioters," according to his claim.

Mr. Sabripour initially told ISNA news agency that the perpetrators of Mostafa Naimawi's killing had been arrested, but later told IRNA news agency that they were trying to identify the perpetrators of the incident.

The Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, in a report quoting one of Qassem Khudairi's relatives, introduced him as a "Basij member and a person of prayer and fasting" and wrote that "suspicious elements" killed him.

The news agency also released a video yesterday of Mustafa Naimawi's father, who said in Arabic that his son was not a "dissident" and "was hanging out with Basij and police children."

Mohsen Heydari, a representative from Khuzestan in the Assembly of Experts, also told Fars News Agency that "criminals, alien-affiliated, and anti-revolutionary people" are shooting at people and "killing innocent people."

Attributing the killings of protesters to "suspicious elements" and "counterrevolutionaries" is one of the ongoing agendas of the media and figures affiliated with the Iranian government during various protests.

During the protests in January 2017 and November 2019, these media outlets and members of parliament continuously reported on the enemy's role in killing protesting citizens, but no evidence has been provided in this regard so far.

Source: Radio Farda