Iranian Lawmaker Reports Death Of Protester In Rallies Against Price HIkes

An Iranian lawmaker has confirmed the death of a street protester in recent rallies in Khuzestan Province in the southwest of the country.

Seyed Ahmad Avaei was quoted by the semiofficial ILNA news agency on May 14 as saying that the person was a resident of the city of Andimeshk, although he did not disclose the age or gender of the victim.

Iranian state media reported on May 13 that authorities had arrested at least 22 people who had been protesting against price hikes in subsidized food staples in two cities in the southwest of the country.

President Ebrahim Raisi this week announced a series of economic measures, including cutting subsidies and increasing the prices of several staples such as flour and cooking oil.

Iranians reacted to the expected price hikes by taking to the streets in several cities in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, the official government news agency IRNA reported on May 13, where the government has reportedly imposed a near-total shutdown of mobile Internet services for the past week.

Amateur videos posted on social media showed protests in Dezful and Mahshahr, where protesters chanted against Raisi and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Some reports suggested that security forces had used tear gas to disperse the protesters.

Street protests were also reported in Andimeshk, the capital city of the western province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari.

With reporting with AFP and AP