Over the past few days, Iranian intelligence agencies have launched a campaign of arrests targeting a number of members of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah in the Ahwaz region, as part of an ongoing policy of repression against religious activists and preachers.

Local sources reported that the campaign resulted in the arrest of preacher Aref Shamousi, in addition to preacher Mohammad bin Badr, both residents of the Al-Malashiya neighborhood, along with several other individuals, without clear charges being filed or disclosure of their places of detention.

It is worth noting that the Malashiya-City neighborhood is among the areas that have witnessed the outbreak of several popular uprisings in Ahwaz in recent years. As a result, its residents have been subjected to widespread repression, including arbitrary arrests and execution sentences against a number of its inhabitants.

The Alahwazi Organization for Human Rights  affirms that these arrests constitute a blatant violation of human rights and calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately disclose the fate of the detainees, ensure their physical safety, and respect their right to a fair trial and freedom of belief.