Protests in Iran; Internet restrictions, arrests of protesters

The Iranian protests began in Behbahan and spread to Shiraz, Isfahan, Rasht, Mashhad, Tabriz, and Urmia. Following these protests, the internet was cut off in Khuzestan. The IRGC intelligence arrested a large number of protesters in Khorasan Razavi and some cities in Iran.

Eight months after the November 2019 protests, protesters have taken to the streets again in various cities across the country. Anti-government demonstrations began on the afternoon of Thursday, July 16, in the city of Behbahan in Khuzestan province. The protesters’ main slogans were “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, I will sacrifice my life for Iran,” “An Iranian dies, he will not accept humiliation,” and “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, we are all together.”

Protesters have also chanted slogans against Khamenei and other government leaders. Some users on social media have cited the dire economic situation and the issuance of death sentences for the November 2019 protesters as the main motivations for the gathering and demonstrations.

The police have fired tear gas at the protesters to disperse them. A security atmosphere has prevailed in many of Iran's major cities.

Colonel Mohammad Azizi, the police commander of Behbahan, in an interview with IRNA on Friday, attributed the demonstrations in the city to “a call by a small number of people” who “gathered at the National Bank Square of the city at 9:00 PM on Thursday to protest the economic situation.”

He claimed that initially the police intended to "disperse these people through negotiations, but not only did they not disperse, but they also began chanting slogans that violated norms, which is why the police took firm action to disperse them."

Azizi did not provide further details about the police's "solidity," adding: "Fortunately, with the measures taken, there were no financial or human losses in this gathering, and the people who gathered were guided to their homes."

Official news agencies, including the Revolutionary Guard-affiliated Tasnim News Agency, have reported the arrest of a number of protesters.

The Behbahan police commander went on to attribute the demonstrations in Behbahan to “hostile individuals and groups” who “intend to provoke people and attack the system in the current sensitive situation, and they certainly want to create tension in society by inciting people’s emotions.”

The country's economic situation has worsened due to the spread of the coronavirus. The United States' strict sanctions, especially on banking and oil, have plunged the Iranian economy into an unprecedented recession. One dollar fell to 24,000 Tomans a day before the protests began. On the other hand, the death sentences against the Aban protesters and the arrest of some families of the Aban 2019 victims, including the family of Pouya Bakhtiari, the pensioners' protest, and the arrest of Haft Tappeh workers were all signs of widespread dissatisfaction in Iran. In recent days, cyberspace users have been relentlessly criticizing the government's actions and its failure to manage the coronavirus crisis.

Social media appears to have played a significant role in organizing the protests, with the Iranian government immediately reacting by cutting off and restricting it.

Netblocks: Internet cut off in Khuzestan

According to the "NetBlocks" report, the Internet traffic monitoring body in Khuzestan's Internet world has been completely cut off.

Netblocks published a chart showing that internet access in Khuzestan has been severely restricted since 10:00 AM Iranian time.

Tasnim: Several people arrested in Khorasan Razavi and Shiraz

A security atmosphere has prevailed in many of Iran's major cities. Some reports indicate the presence of riot police on the streets of Tehran, Shiraz, Mashhad, Tabriz, Urmia, and Rasht.

The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency has reported the arrest of several people in Khorasan Razavi by the IRGC.

The Tasnim report states that the Imam Reza Corps in Khorasan Razavi Province announced in a statement: "A number of key elements of hostile groups who, while communicating with counter-revolutionary networks, were encouraging supporters and people to gather and protest in the streets by publishing calls, were identified and arrested."

Tasnim wrote that some of these individuals' records include acts such as espionage against national security, incitement to riots, and attempts to disrupt public order through cyberspace.

Such accusations have been made against protesters in November 2019 before. Many were arrested in the nationwide protests in November. Eight months after the protests began, the Islamic Republic of Iran has still not announced the actual number of those killed and arrested.

The Shiraz Fajr Corps has also announced the arrest of an operational team in the city. In this regard, ISNA news agency reported, citing the Fars Province Fajr Corps Intelligence Organization, that it had identified “an operational team of the terrorist organization of the Hypocrites that had entered Fars Province to carry out harassing operations.” According to the news agency, the members of this team intended to carry out a sabotage operation in one of the areas of Shiraz.

IRGC Colonel Jalal Yarmohammadi, deputy for public relations of the Fajr Guard, said, "The movements of the hostile groups are fully under intelligence surveillance, and legal processes are also underway regarding the arrested members of this terrorist team."

There is considerable doubt about the accuracy and veracity of these claims. State media usually describes protests and opposition as “terrorist groups,” “counter-revolutionaries,” and “foreign-affiliated.”

Source: DW