Arrests of Three Persons in Lordegan

October 7, 2019
According to reports at least three persons have been separately arrested after protests in Lordegan, Chaharmahal Va BakhtiarI Province. The protests took place when it was revealed that a large number of local residents were infected with the HIV. Protesters alleged that the infections were caused by reuse of needles by state-run health facilities.

The three persons arrested are Amir Bakhtiar, Gholam Norouzi Bajoul and Mehdi Mirkarimi. They were arrested separately, and they are currently being held by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence at Lordegan. At least one of those arrested, Amir Bakhtiar, is reportedly under intense pressure to confess to organizing the protests and having links to opposition figures residing outside Iran. Media outlets close to the Iranian government have published stories repeating this allegation. They have also claimed that the arrested individuals carried arms in their vehicles.

Iranian authorities often accuse dissidents of having ties to foreign countries and planning armed operations, but they do not provide credible evidence against the accused or afford them a fair judicial process. Events in Lordegan indicate that a similar situation could develop with respect to individuals detained after the recent protests.