Antigovernment protests and demonstrations that began Tuesday following the hideous murder of a young man, Seyyed Kamal Seyyed Ghader (Shwan) in Mahabad (western Iran), continued for the seventh day running on Saturday. A large number of government vehicles, banks and buildings were set ablaze by enraged residents during clashes and protests.
On Friday, young people staged gatherings in different parts of the town, including Mollajani district. Chanting antigovernment slogans, they set tires on fire and put up barricades to thwart the security forces’ advance.
Despite the dispatch of hundreds of special anti-riot forces from the neighboring towns of Bonab, Sanandaj, Miandoab, Orumieh and Naghadeh, young people and women demonstrated and chanted antigovernment slogans, demanding that those responsible for the grisly murder last week be identified and punished.
State Security Forces (SSF) fired tear gas volleys and used truncheons to disperse the angry crowd in the town’s Esteghlal (Independence) Square, but faced stiff resistance, as youths hurled rocks at the suppressive forces. Several protesters, including a woman, were wounded due to tear gas explosion and a young man was shot and wounded.
A large number of youths covered their faces, while marching from Esteghlal Square to Azadi junction in the city, chanting “death to Khamenei, down with the mullahs’ regime,” and blocking the surrounding streets. They also beat up Revolutionary Guardsman Haj Baharmi, a special envoy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who threatened to kill the protesters. An SSF commander was killed during the unrest on Saturday.
Fearing a backlash, the SSF has stayed away from many districts, including Esteghlal, Bagh-e Sheigan and Posht-Tappeh, instead firing tear gas and shooting in the air to terrorize, intimidate and disperse the protesters. In an act of vengeance, the suppressive forces raided a number of homes and inflicted damage on them.
On Friday, people in the town of Boukan staged a protest to voice support for the people of Mahabad and clashed with the suppressive forces and Intelligence Ministry agents. During the clashes, several people were injured and at least 20 arrested, including Hassan Aman-ollah and Kamal Parvizian.
During protests in the city of Marivan, 13 were arrested by the SSF. To prevent the spread of the protest, the suppressive forces were deployed in many streets and junctions and set up bunkers in other areas. A similar demonstration took place in Sanandaj (Kurdistan Province’s capital). In Boukan, Saqqez and Marivan, the SSF and plainclothes officers were deployed and conducted patrols citywide.
The Iranian Resistance’s President-elect Maryam Rajavi hailed the people of Mahabad, Boukan, Sanandaj, Marivan and other cities in Kurdistan Province and urged people in other regions to rush to their aid. Mrs. Rajavi said the weeklong uprising by the people of Mahabad despite an atmosphere of absolute repression was a clear sign of the Iranian people’s resolve to overthrow the clerical regime and establish democracy in Iran. She called on different countries and all international human rights organs to condemn the brutal suppression of the people of Mahabad and take urgent action to save the lives of those arrested.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
July 18, 2005