Ahwazi Arab activists are warning that the pre-emptive arrests of hundreds of Arabs ahead of the anniversary of the April 2005 Ahwaz intifada will be repeated on a national scale ahead of the presidential elections.
The Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation has named over 250 Ahwazi Arabs have been rounded up and held without charge in an effort to intimidate and silence protests. The actual number is likely to be far higher.
Small sporadic and peaceful protests have occurred in Arab neighbourhoods in Ahwaz, including the use of motorbikes to disrupt highways and calls of "Allahu Akbar" from rooftops at night. However, the level of state terror under effective martial law has deterred many from taking action that could lead to confrontation with the security forces.
The state's ability to prevent unrest with mass arrests of Arabs signals that the regime may take wider action across Iran to intimidate any form of dissent from the hard-line stance of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Spokesman for the British Ahwazi Friendship Society (BAFS) Nasser Bani Assad said: "Political activists elsewhere in Iran have taken a blind eye to the recent events in Ahwaz, but the tactics used against Ahwazi Arabs will be used to prevent any criticism of the regime and the conduct of the election. We believe that if hundreds are arrested in Al-Ahwaz, hundreds more will be arrested in other centres before political activists even get the chance to debate, question and complain. This year is likely to see an unprecedented level of state terrorism to prevent the civil unrest that followed the 2009 presidential election."
The arrests among Ahwazi Arabs continue and until this moment the following names have been confirmed:
Arrests in Kut Abdullah, an area in Ahwaz on Tuesday 16/04/2013
Mohammad Fazely
Hamed Rambi Zadeh son of Jalil
Mahmoud Ketabi son of Ghasem
Jamal Aawaji Zadeh son of Yousef
Ahmad Gourji son of Jomaa
Saeed Gourji son of Jomaa
Madhi Khanfari son of Mohammad, 38 years arrested on 17th April 2013
Arrests in Abbadan on Friday 1st April 2013:
Abdulreza Ghoubaishawi
Mohammad Karimi
Jasem Nawaseri
Ghasem Saymari
Samir Khanafereh
Abdulreza Aanafcheh
Reza Saedi
Ramazan Bawi
Jaber Al Kathir
Abdulreza Thameri
Mohammad Aabadi
Aamar Mosawi
Emad Salamat
Arrests in Aljarahi, Maashour on Sunday 3rd April 2013:
Ali Sakhrawi
Hadi Khethairi
Najem Moghadam
Ibrahim Haj Moghadam
Arrests in Dour-khwaieen, Alfalahieh (Shadegan)
Jasem Deris
Khalaf Jaberi
Kathem Hazbawi
Naser Fazeli
Thamer Mattori
Arrests in Ahwaz city (Kut Abdullah, Kut Alnawaser and Zerghan area) in 3rd March 2013
Akram Badwi
Mahdi Zeheri
Naser Hazbawi
Fakher Helfi
Kathem Nawaseri
Asaad Nawaseri
Jamal Nawaseri
Jalal Badwi
Rahim Torfi
Ibrahim Zerghani
Khalil Shaabani
Maher Khasraji
Jalal Aamouri
Ziaa Sharafi
Hadi Mazraa
Karim Salehi
Abdulreza Hazbawi
Mohammad Bawi
Jasem Aafrawi
Arrests in Abu-Debes an area around Ahwaz city 11/03/2013
Naji Nawaseri
Karim Hashemi
Haidar Kaabi
Eissa Nawaseri
Hadi Soudani
Rami Nawaseri
Khalaf Heleichi
Amin Haidari
Kathem Hazbawi
Arrests in Beyt-Khashan villigae of Shoush city on Wednesday 13/03/2013
Khalaf Thamer
Sayed Hashem Sayed Nour (43 years)
Amer Roustam Zeghebi (37 years)
Jomaa Kaabi
Arrests in Mallashieh area of Ahwazi city in 16/03/2013
Naji Thameri
Hadi Thameri
Mohammad Naseri
Reza Naseri
Hassan Zeheri
Arrests in Kut Abdullah
Habib Badwi
Makki Douraghi
Jaafar Douraghi
Mahdi Hazbawi
Hadi Naseri
Ali Naseri
Kathem Heleichi
Aaref Heleichi
Naji Sawari
Ahmad Amouri
Ismaeil Haiayawi
Nouruz Haiayawi
Ramazan Naseri
Jalil Saedi
Hashem Amouri
Habib Mazraeh (poet)
Adnan Mazraeh (son of Habib Mazraeh)
Hadi Jenadeleh
Karim Torfi
Hatam Saadouni
Hashem Amouri
Nathem Saedi
Kathem Nawaseri
Abdulaali Douraghi (poet)
Shaimaa Douraghi (daughter of Abdulaali)
Sami Albu Aashireh
Hassan Amouri
Jaber Amouri
Najem Nawaseri
Adel Nawaseri
Yaber Al Kathir
Abbas Ishaghi (Artist)
Karim Sawari
Hadi Bachari
Ayad Mohseni
Naji Sawari
Jaafar Badawi
Arrests in Hasir-Abad area of Ahwaz city
Shahab Haiayawi
Ayoub Amouri
Saeed Sawari
Arrests in Jangeyeh village of Ahwazi
Maytham Zeheri
Mohammad Shajerawi
Salman Maawi
Sadegh Nawaseri
Majid Sawari
Arrests in Ghalaat-Chanaan suburban area of Ahwaz city
Naser Amouri
Ali Hazbawi
Mazid Zarghani
Arrests also in Abbadan
Karim Bawi
Hamzeh Haj Moughadam
Amir Rabihawi
Sami Torfi
Fakher Jaderi
Hadi Gharbawi
Sabah Mhawal
Jahad Naseri
In Kaab-Beyt Jouwei area around Shoush city 23/03/2013
Kamal Khanafereh
Nabil Hashemi
Sharif Albu-Sabieh
Jalal Albu-Ghubaysh
Hassan Kaabi
Ghasem Sanad Kaabi
Ali Kaabi
Ghais Saddam Kaabi
Arrests in Ghulestan area in Ahwaz city 24/03/2013
Maher Sharifi
Hadi Sharifi
Rahim Abiyat
Ibrahim Mousawi
Ramazan Saedi
Ali Naseri
Aasi Bachari
Masood Bawi
Majid Masoodi
Shoujaa Torfi
Jalal Jalali
In Mojahed area of Ahwaz city 25/03/2013
Kathem Thameri
Ghazi Khetheri
Habib Tamimi
Taher Rabiehawi
Baghi Mazraa
Makki Moujaddam
Abdulwahed Naseri
Faisal Gharabat
Jasem Fazeli
Samad Mohammadi
Hafez Shaabani
Yousef Naseri
Arrests in Houwayzeh 24/03/2013
Mohammad Saki
Haidar Saki
Mohammad Reza Saki
Ali Bani Saleh
Aqil Jorfi son of Razaq, 18 years
Mohammad Saki son of Abdulzahra
Hamid Saki son of Abdulhussein
Mohammad Fatlah
Ali Silawi son of Souheil
Naser Falahi son of Fakher
Hamid Falahi son of Fakher
Adel Silawi son of Kazem
Arrests in other areas of Ahwaz province
Hadi Farhan Haidari
Aaqil Haidari
Ahmad Farhan Haidari
Adnan Haidari
Karim Hamidawi
Emad Aanafcheh
Hamid Ghanemi
Hadi Ghanemi
Mousa Rashedi
Eissa Karimi
Jamal Al-Kathir
Sadegh Sharifi
Amir Khasraji
Jawad Soudani
Fooad Samiri
Mohammad Aamareh Mouramazi
Ahmad Haidari
Hussein Hasson Torfi (from Abbadan)
Saeed Kathem Mazraa (from Alzeweyeh area of Ahwaz city)
Ali Ghoubeyshawi ( from Maashour)
Naji Hami Ghawabesh (Alkhafajeyh (Sousabgherd))
Bahader Khaledi
Karim Berehi
Naji Sawari
Sami Hamidi
Aanid Asyashi
Moustafa Badwi
Mahdi Badwi
Ghasem Naseri
Jasem Naseri
Abbas Sawari
Dahar Sawari
Emad Jaberi
Hamed Hazbawi
Ali Fazeli
Arrests in Khur Mousa (Bandar Khumainei) in 9th April 2013
Hadi Jaberi
Karim Amouri
Hadi Mousawi
Abdulrahman Khanafereh
Ramazan Nawaseri
Naji Moramazi
Arrest in Darwishiyeh in Ahwaz city in 29th March 2013
Habib Amiri
Arrests in Alzewiyeh area in Ahwaz city on 15th April 2013
Hamid Mazraeh
Salem Bawi
Majid Mazraeh
Jasem Shahbazi
Arrests in Hamidyeh on 14th April 2013
Hamid Fereisat
Mohammad Obeydawi
Mahdi Shoumosi, 22 years
Hamid Abeyat, 35 years
Ghasem Abeyat, 23 years
Mohammad Halafi 24 years
Eissa Saedi, 22 years from Koyeh Mostazaafeen
Abdullah Saedi, 24 years
Rasoul Saedi, 25 years
Qais Obeydawi 24 years from Koyeh Kar-garan
Majed Saedi 27 years, from Koyeh Mostazaafeen
Arrasets in Falahyeh
Mohammad Douraghi son of Abdulkhedr, 27 years
Arrests in Hay-Elthawrah (Kuyeh Alawi) on 16/04/2013
Jasem sawari
Mahdi Sawari son of Sabbah, 25 years on 17th April 2013
Mousa Sawari son of Abed, 22 years on 17th April 2013
