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HomeStatementsStatements: Human RightsIRAN: People protest mounts against fuel price hike, motorcycle driver commits self-immolation

IRAN: People protest mounts against fuel price hike, motorcycle driver commits self-immolation

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In the morning of Tuesday May 26, 2015, in a shocking accident in Tehran the driver of a motorcycle, who was earning a living for himself and his family with using his motorcycle, in protest against the increased price of gasoline committed self-immolation at the gas station in Zone 2 of Tehran and was transferred to the Shohada hospital in Tarnish.

Around noon, a number of Varamin’s vehicle and taxi drivers protested against rising fuel prices and gathered in the street leading to the governor’s office. Police raided them and beat them.

In the evening of Monday May 25, following the energy price increases, in a gas station in the city of Robat Karim, Tehran Province, confrontation between the protesters and police erupted and people smashed windows at gas station. Ten people were arrested. Taxi drivers of Mehrshahr in Karaj also objected to the removal of quotas by the regime.

Suppressive forces, including police, Bassij and intelligence agents in Tehran, in fear of the spread of protests over fuel price increases, have been on alert.
Since Tuesday May 26, the clerical regime, in an anti-democratic measure removed the quotas fuel and increased gasoline prices on a single-rate by 40 percent to 1,000 tomans. Gasoline quota for taxis and fuel subsidies in the agricultural sector have also been removed. This action will be followed by a wave of rising prices, whose main pressure will be on the poor segments of the population. Millions of people are now unable to provide for their lives.

According to the state media, in the past 400 days, the price of gasoline 118%, Super gasoline 100% , liquid gas 326%, kerosene 50%, fuel oil 200% and diesel fuel have increased by about 100 % (Mehr State News Agency- May 25).

The clerical regime is putting pressure on the deprived people by increasing fuel prices while it wastes billions of dollars of their assets in the unpopular nuclear projects and export of war and crisis to Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and other countries.

Hamid Hosseini, a member of the union of exporters of oil, gas and petrochemical products reiterates that: “With the approach of summer, some refineries in the country are to overhaul and may be closed for about two months. Regional pressures and the adventure of Yemen, have made the supply and purchase of gas for the government difficult and the volume of subsidies and other issues, have made the situation different from the past “(Mehr State News Agency- May 25).

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
May 26, 2015