
Qassem Soleimani Dashtaki
- Director General of Cooperatives Organisation, Isfahan Province (2000 - 2003)
- Director General of Labour and Social Affairs, Isfahan Province (2003 - 2004)
- Provincial Governor, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province (6 Nov 2013 - 2 Oct 2017)
- Provincial Governor, Ilam Province (2 Oct 2017 - 26 Feb 2021)
- Director General of Cooperatives Organisation, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province
- Provincial Governor, Khuzestan Province (26 Feb 2021 - present)
- Human Rights Violation: Killing and Suppressing Protesters against water Shortage (July 2021) read more
- Institution
- Ministry of Interior
- Location
- (Khuzestan Province)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of assembly, Right to life
- Description
Qassem Soleimani Dashtaki, as provincial governor of Khuzestan and chairman of the provincial security council, has been responsible for violently suppressing peaceful protests in Khuzestan and ordering the use of deadly weapons against protesters. He is also responsible for covering up the protests, blocking information about those killed by cutting off the Internet, and pressuring their families to make false confessions. At the behest of Soleimani Dashtaki, security forces used brutal violence, including tear gas, pepper spray, severe beatings of protesters, and in particular direct shooting at protesters with deadly weapons, to suppress peaceful protests in Khuzestan. As a result, at least 5 were killed and many protesters and pedestrians were severely injured.
Peaceful protests against the water cut in Khuzestan province, which began on July 15, 2021 in various cities of the province, were severely suppressed by security forces. According to several news sources, as of July 21, at least 9 protesters including 17-year-old Qassem Khaziri and 30-year-old Mustafa Naimawi, 17-year-old Hadi Bahmani, 20-year-old Mohammad Koroushat and 16-year-old Mohammad Abdollahi had been killed by direct shooting from security forces.
- Sources
Hadi Bahmani, A Teenage Worker, Killed in Khuzestan Protests, Radio Zamaneh, July 21, 2021
https://en.radiozamaneh.com/31723/
Security Forces Kill More Protesters In Iran As Unrest Continues, Iran International, July 21, 2021
https://iranintl.com/en/iran/security-forces-kill-more-protesters-iran-unrest-continues
Security media interview with the family of the two victims in Khuzestan; Repetition of project of presenting the killed protesters as supporters of the regime, Iran International, July 18, 2021
The governor of Khuzestan denied the water shortage protests and called the published videos fake, Iran International, 25 July 2021
Protests in Khuzestan, at least one person was shot in Susangard, BBC Persian, July 19, 2021
https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-57883592
Fourth night of water protests in Khuzestan: Security forces fired
tear gas and bullets at the people of Susangard, Iran International, July 19,
2021
At least two killed in Khuzestan protests; Demonstrations
continued for the third night, BBC Persian, July 17, 2021
https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-57874217
The third night of protests in different cities of Khuzestan: the
number of people killed in the water protest reached two, Iran International,
July 17, 2021
Video: Susangerd protests, VOA, 19 July 2021
https://ir.voanews.com/episode/protest-susangard-khuzestan-514071
Video: Police forces shooting at protesters in Susangerd, 19 July 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2ztKa6rzsc
Video: Police forces attack protesters in Susangerd, 19 July 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Pj1cE5zL4
The sixth night of Khuzestan protests; At least two protesters were killed in Ahvaz, VOA, July 21, 2021
https://ir.voanews.com/top-stories/iran-protests-khouzestan
The sixth night of Khuzestan protests; At least two protesters were killed in Izeh, Iran International, July 21, 2021
- Human Rights Violation: Killing and Suppressing Protesters against water Shortage (July 2021) read more