More than 80 arrested during three-day clashes between residents in Anar (Kerman province) and repressive forces

From Friday to Sunday, January 30 to February 1, the residents of Anar, in the southern Kerman Province, staged a city-wide protest against the repressive policies of the mullahs' regime and clashed with the Intelligence Ministry's anti-riot forces and the Guards Corps who tried to crush their protest.

The demonstrators occupied the governor's building. At least 84 persons were arrested in these clashes and three wounded.

The protests erupted when Anar's authorities decided to give the city's newly drilled water wells to the Intelligence Ministry and the families of members of the Guards Corps and the Bassij, instead of putting any of them at the disposal of the farmers to irrigate their land.

On Friday, January 30, large groups of the people gathered in front of the home of the Friday prayer leader and demanded that the wells be given to the farmers. Having received no response, they staged another protest on Saturday and chanted slogans against the regime's leaders. The Intelligence Ministry's anti-riot forces attacked the demonstrators and arrested four people.

On Sunday, the city's enraged residents raided the governor's office, shattering all the windows and taking over the building. Despite intervention of the regime's suppressive forces and the arrest of a large group of people, the demonstrators continued their defiance and blocked the main entry to the city. In the course of these clashes, the protesters destroyed a security forces' patrol car and a bus which had been dispatched to take away those arrested.

The city of Rafsanjan's Guards Corps, Security Forces and Intelligence Department forces, commanded by Ali Mohammadi, and Col. Imami and Taghavi, respectively; regional Security Forces commanded by Col. Iran-manesh, the anti-riot units from the city of Kerman, the Security Forces of Anar commanded by Keriki, had been dispatched to the scene to crush the protests.

Only after arresting large groups of individuals did they succeed in bringing the situation under control. According to the reports coming from Anar, the city remains tense.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran draws the attention of international human rights organizations to the suppression of the widespread demonstrations in the city of Anar and urges their intervention to save the lives and secure the release of those arrested.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
February 5, 1998

Back Home