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Maryam Rajavi condemns “Bloody Friday” in southern Iran city

Calls on U.N. Secretary General to send fact-finding mission
Following heavy clashes during Ahwaz’s Bloody Friday yesterday, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, strongly condemned the brutal suppression of the demonstration by people in this city. While offering her condolences to the families of those killed and praying for the recovery of the injured, Mrs. Rajavi called on the people from neighbouring towns in Khuzestan and throughout Iran, from all ethnic backgrounds, to rush to the aid of the people of Ahwaz, especially those of Arab descent under repression.
Calls on U.N. Secretary General to send fact-finding mission
Following heavy clashes during Ahwaz’s Bloody Friday yesterday, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, strongly condemned the brutal suppression of the demonstration by people in this city. While offering her condolences to the families of those killed and praying for the recovery of the injured, Mrs. Rajavi called on the people from neighbouring towns in Khuzestan and throughout Iran, from all ethnic backgrounds, to rush to the aid of the people of Ahwaz, especially those of Arab descent under repression.

In a letter addressed to the United Nations Secretary General, members of the U.N. Security Council, and G-8 heads of states, Mrs. Rajavi called for the immediate intervention of the U.N. and for a fact-finding mission to be dispatched to prevent further bloodshed and killings of the innocent people of Khuzestan.
The President-elect of the Iranian Resistance pointed out that instead of meeting the rightful demands of the Arab population in Khuzestan, the religious fascism mercilessly suppressed them and carried out a policy of "ethnic cleansing". The Iranian people have not forgotten the killings of their compatriots in Khuzestan in 1979 and 1980 at the hands of butchers such as Revolutionary Guard Commander Ali Shamkhani, the current Defence Minister.
On Friday morning, the clerical regime’s Revolutionary Guards and State Security Forces fiercely attacked thousands of residents of Ahwaz demonstrating peacefully in Kordavani Street and several other locations in around the city, including Kut Abdollah, Kiyan, Hamidiya, Siyahi, Shelang-Abad, Lashkar-Abad, Malashiya, and Ameri, as they tried to disperse the demonstrators. After firing tear-gas at the demonstrators, Revolutionary Guards opened fire on the defenceless people. The mullahs’ regime brought additional special antiriot forces and Revolutionary Guards from neighbouring towns in Khuzestan province to further suppress the uprising by the people and youths in Ahwaz.
Angry youths fiercely fought back the brutal attacks by security forces and destroyed or set fire to a number of SSF and government buildings. The most serious clashes took place in Kordavani Square and Malashiya, where a number of demonstrators were killed by gunfire from security forces and hundreds of others were injured.
Clashes continued throughout Ahwaz until midnight on Friday. Hospitals are presently in full capacity from the injured, and the SSF have enforced a de facto state of martial law.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
April 16, 2005