Photo retrieved from: www.greenprophet.com
“Over the last couple of weeks Iranians have gathered in Tabriz and Orumieh in their thousands to protest the slow disappearance of Lake Orumieh, which is crucial to agriculture and tourism in the region. On Saturday, the protesters gathered again and security forces on motorcycles clashed with them, arresting scores of peaceful environmental campaigners.
The Guardian reported that Farank Farid, a prominent women’s rights activist, was among the protesters currently held in custody according to the committee of human rights reporters in Iran. Amateur videos posted on sites such as Youtube also show what appears to be riot police attacking the peaceful protestors on Saturday.
Tabriz and Orumieh are located in Iran’s Azerbaijan region, home to the country Azeri ethnic minority who campaigners state have been marginalised by the government. Indeed, locals claim that Revolutionary Guards are responsible for the shrinking lake levels due to their damming policies which mean that there are currently 36 dams built on the river leading up to lake Orumieh.
Officials in Iran insist that the falling lake levels are due to drought, rising temperatures and climate change.”
Read more: Green Prophet
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