Saturday, July 30, 2005

Unrest continues in NW Iran

SMCCDI (Information Service):
Unrest is continuing in several northwestern cities of Iran located in the Kurdistan and W. Azarbaijan provinces. Cities, such as, Mahabad, Marivan, Baneh, Saghez, Mian-Do-Ab, Marivan, Oshnovieh and Sannandaj are the daily scenes of expression of exasperation against an unpopular regime notorious for Human Rights abuses.

Tens of residents gathered, today, in Sannandaj in order to request the release of all arrested, an immediate exit of the regime's special forces and the trial of agents involved in killing and murder of dissidents and protesters.

Popular demonstrations and scattered riots have been taking place in the last two weeks ago, following the publication of the mutilated body of a killed young activist who was arrested on July 9th.

Several demonstrators and security agents have been killed in the following daily clashes and tens of public buildings have been damaged.

The regime has had to deploy hundreds of its special troops, including its Iraqi and Lebanese mercenaries, in order to control relatively the situation.

It's to note that more and more of region's residents are resorting to protest following President Bush's wise statement on the "need of respecting the territorial integrity of Iran". Till then, most residents were fearing to become indirect tools in service of few independentist groups who are targeting the split of the two provinces from Iran.