Ringleaders of Iranian Unrest Arrested

Reuters, Daily Times:

An Iranian prosecutor said on Sunday the authorities were rounding up ringleaders of ethnic unrest in the oil-rich southwest and that the number of people detained over the violence would soon exceed 205. READ MORE

Officials say demonstrations on April 15 were sparked by the circulation of a forged letter, supposedly from a senior official, suggesting that Iran’s Arab minority be relocated to dilute its influence in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan.

Iran says five people died in the violence; opposition and rights groups have suggested that dozens may have been killed.

Prosecutor Iraj Amirkhani last week said 200 out of an original 344 protesters arrested had been set free.

But he told the ISNA students news agency that the prisons were now filling up again as demonstrators confessed to their roles in the protests.

“Based on confessions of those arrested, the identification and arrest of leaders of the unrest and others involved started this morning,” he was quoted as saying.

“At the moment, 205 people remain in detention for taking part in the Ahvaz unrest and this number is increasing.”

Amirkhani said some of those detained had admitted to taking money to smash up banks and other public buildings.

About 3 percent of Iran’s 67 million people are Arabs.