Continued Internet Disruption in Khuzestan; Reports: At Least 10 Protesters Arrested

FCNN EditorMay 9, 2022

0 2 minutes read

Following protests in several cities over the price increases of essential goods including bread, reports from Khuzestan indicate the continuation of widespread internet disruption in the province on Sunday for the third consecutive day.

According to Mohammad Mali, a journalist in Khuzestan province, since Friday, the 16th of Ordibehesht, internet services from Hamrah-e Aval and Irancell have been cut off, while “connections through other operators and cable Wi-Fi remain available.”

Based on reports from Khuzestan, the internet disruption has slowed down the work of administrative, governmental, and institutional bodies to the extent that even access to download and print documents needed by citizens for administrative affairs has become impossible.

A video report attributed to the Mahshahr center documented images showing that on Sunday evening, a heavy security atmosphere has been established in the city with special unit officers armed with weapons present in the city.

On the other hand, the Emtedad news website wrote on Sunday, the 18th of Ordibehesht, quoting a civil activist in Khuzestan, that the continued internet cutoff in recent days has caused “almost complete information blackout” about the protests in the province, which “first sparked on Friday night in Susangerd” and “large crowds of protesting people took to the streets of this county over what was mentioned in slogans as inflation and livelihood hardships.”

According to this report, in Ahvaz as well, on Friday and Saturday evenings, “street protests formed in Arab-populated areas of Zarean, Akhara Asphalt, Kouy Alavi, and Kouy Meshali (Abuzar),” and in Susangerd and Izeh widespread protests also took shape, which “in Izeh county was much more densely populated than other parts of the province.”

Likewise, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran, HRANA, reported the continuation of “a security atmosphere and the presence of law enforcement and special unit officers in the streets of Susangerd and Izeh.”

Based on HRANA’s report, on the evening of Saturday, the 17th of Ordibehesht, “at least 10 more citizens in the cities of Susangerd, Hamidiyeh, and Ahvaz” were arrested by security authorities and transferred to unknown locations. Their identities have been announced as “Saeed Dehimi, Ali Moghinemi, Hossein Moghinemi, Jassem Bahrani, Hashem Bahrani, Mohammad Torafi, Adel Hamadi, Mostafa Cheldavi, Abbas Cheldavi, and Emad Savari.”

The internet cutoff in Khuzestan to prevent the spread of economic protests has also received coverage outside the Persian-language media space, as Jason Brodsky, policy director of the “United Against Nuclear Iran” organization, tweeted: “Reports of internet cuts in Khuzestan suggest regime concerns over protests in Iran against bread price increases.”

He also referenced the internet shutoff during the suppression of public protests in November 2019.

Victoria Coates, former deputy national security advisor to the United States, also, welcoming Brodsky’s remarks, wrote: If Elon Musk can bring Starlink satellite internet to Ukraine, why can’t we bring it to Khuzestan and let brave Iranians communicate with the world?

According to unofficial news, protests in several cities in Khuzestan province have also resulted in casualties.

Voice of America is unable to independently verify these reports.

According to social media users, the internet disruption coincided with calls for protest marches by citizens in some parts of Khuzestan province against inflation.

Last year, Khuzestan province, concurrent with the escalation of the water crisis, was the scene of extensive citizen protests for several weeks; protests from this province spread to some other parts of Iran but ultimately subsided with harsh and widespread suppression by security and law enforcement forces.

Source: Voice of America

FCNN Editor

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