Meysam Echresh

Khuzestan man asked for water but gunned down by the Iranian police, acitivists say

More protesters are feared dead but officials have yet to confirm further fatalities. They have also not disclosed how many civilians have been arrested

By Edward Era Barbacena

Several videos uploaded by social media users showed security forces using tear gas to disperse protesters, and the semi-official news agency Fars said “rioters” shot dead one policeman and injured another in the port city of Mahshahr in the Khuzestan province.

Oil-rich Khuzestan, parts of which were temporarily seized by Iraq’s Saddam Hussein after he invaded Iran with backing from the West, has faced water problems for decades. Its large Sunni Arab population has long complained of being marginalised in predominantly Shia Iran.

This year, however, has been especially difficult for the province – and the whole country as an extension – due to extremely hot temperatures and droughts that have led to widespread blackouts and water shortages.

After various opposition groups and activists called for demonstrations to support the Khuzestan protesters, videos, which surfaced on late Tuesday and early Wednesday, showed women chanting “Down with the Islamic Republic” at a Tehran metro station. At night, some people in the capital vented their anger with chants against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

At least two young men have been shot dead in the protests. Official have blamed armed protesters, but activists said on social media they were killed by security forces.

More protesters are feared dead but officials have yet to confirm further fatalities. They have also not disclosed how many civilians have been arrested.

Activists are posting this video saying a young man by the name of Meysam Echresh wanted water  but regime security forces gunned him down.

Protesters have claimed that Echresh is another Ahwazi young protester who shot down by IRGC forces last night during a peaceful protest took place in Arab city of Maashour (Mahshahr). While death tolls soaring, Ahwazi people still resisting regime’s suppression and refuse to surrender.

According to reports Martyr Meysam Echresh who has been killed by the Iranian occupation regime police forces in the demonstration in Al-Ahwaz, going to be buried in the graveyard today Wednesday. 

The upsrising in Khuzestan is getting far more grim and alot of lives are being lost on both sides of authorities and the raging protesters brought by the water crisis because of the drought. Officials acknowledge that the province has been hit hard, but they claim separatist groups are to blame for the violence and accuse foreign media of trying to take advantage of the situation to oppose the theocratic establishment.

The government of outgoing President Hassan Rouhani said it has allocated new funds to alleviate the situation while the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said they are deploying water tankers to the thirsty region.

Iranian authorities have said one police officer was shot dead by “agitators” in Iran’s Khuzestan province, where six nights of protests over water shortages have turned deadly. 

Hadi Bahmani, Mohammad Kroshat,  Mohammad Abdollahi Mohammad Abbas Alkanani, Ghasem Kheziri, Mostafa Naeimavi, Farzad Farisat and Meysam Echresh are the unfortunate ones who lost their lives during the protest and were allegedly killed by the iranian police.

On the other hand, members of the ahwazi claimed that its the authorities who are to blamed for the relentless killings of the protesters. Hadi Bahmani, Mohammad Kroshat,  Mohammad Abdollahi Mohammad Abbas Alkanani, Ghasem Kheziri, Mostafa Naeimavi, Farzad Farisat and Meysam Echresh are the unfortunate ones who lost their lives during the protest and were allegedly killed by the iranian police.