| Mar 10, 1996 |
Reformers gained a majority of seats in first round polls. (ABC CLIO) |
| Apr 21, 1996 |
Conservative parliamentarians in Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly lost seats in the run off elections held on April 19. (ABC CLIO) |
| May 23, 1997 |
Khatami, a moderate was elected president with 69% of the vote. Khatami promised in the campaign to reduce censorship and support a diversity of attitudes. (ABC CLIO) |
| Oct 25, 1998 |
Conservatives dominated election to the Council of Experts when many of the reformist candidates were disqualified. (ABC CLIO) |
| Mar 8, 1999 |
Moderates won in first local elections in 20 years. (ABC CLIO) |
| Jan 1, 2003 - Aug 31, 2005 |
UNSR reported that development projects in Khuzestan had displaced 200,000 to 250,000 Arabs over the span of several years. (US Department of State. 03/06/2006. "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005: Iran." Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61688.htm. 02/11/2009.) |
| Apr 1 - Dec 22, 2005 |
Since April, at least 500 Iranian Arabs have been arrested. (Amnesty International. 05/17/2006. "Iran - Defending Minority Rights: The Ahwazi Arabs." http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE13/056/2006/en/dom-MDE130562006en.pdf. 12/22/2006.) |
| Apr 15, 2005 |
After the release of a letter in which an advisor allegedly called for reducing the Arab population in Khuzestan, protests involving about 1,000 people broke out. In the crackdown that followed, at least 31 Arabs were killed, hundreds were injured and hundreds arrested. (Amnesty International. 12/2005. "2006 Annual Report for Iran." http://web.amnesty.org/report2006/irn-summary-eng. 02/11/2009; Amnesty International. 05/17/2006. "Iran - Defending Minority Rights: The Ahwazi Arabs." http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE13/056/2006/en/dom-MDE130562006en.pdf. 12/22/2006.) |
| Apr 21 - 21, 2005 |
Four members of an Arab family were severely burned in the district capital of Dasht-e Azadegan by unknown perpetrators. (Aftab-e Yazd, 04/21/2005, "Iran Press: Officials Comment on Causes, Aftermath of Southern Riots," BBC Monitoring) |
| Apr 25 - 25, 2005 |
Yusuf Azizi Banitaraf, an Iranian-Arab journalist who has covered stories on ethnic minorities and has defended protesters, was arrested during a press conference. (US Department of State. 03/06/2006. "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005: Iran." Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61688.htm. 02/11/2009.) |
| Apr 30, 2005 - Oct 31, 2006 |
An Ahwaz Arab organization claimed responsibility for an explosion on the oil pipeline from Khuzestan to Tehran. Seven of the lawyers involved in the defense of those arrested with these bombings faced charges of endangering national security in October 2006. (US Department of State. 03/06/2006. "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005: Iran." Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61688.htm. 02/11/2009; Amnesty International. 2007. "Report 2007: Iran." http://report2007.amnesty.org/eng/Regions/Middle-East-and-North-Africa/Iran. 02/12/2009.) |
| Jun 12 - 12, 2005 |
Three Arabs claimed responsibility for bomb attacks in Khuzestan that targeted government infrastructure and officials. Ten died and an estimated 100 were injured. (US Department of State. 03/06/2006. "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005: Iran." Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61688.htm. 02/11/2009.) |
| Jul 6 - 6, 2005 |
Kurdish and Sunni members of Parliament write a letter to Mahmoud Ahmandinejad, requesting that Kurdish and Sunni rights be protected as stated in the Constitution. (Minority Rights Group, State of World’s Minorities 2006: Events of 2004-2005)
|
| Jul 20 - 31, 2005 |
After July riots in Khuzestan, 30 people were arrested. (US Department of State. 03/06/2006. "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005: Iran." Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61688.htm. 02/11/2009.) |
| Oct 15, 2005 - Mar 2, 2006 |
Following October 2005 bombings in which five died, nine men confessed to having taken part in them on Khuzestan Provincial TV on March 1. Seven of those who publicly confessed were hanged the following day. (Amnesty International. 05/17/2006. "Iran
Defending Minority Rights: The Ahwazi Arabs." http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE13/056/2006/en/dom-MDE130562006en.pdf. 02/12/2009; U.S. Department of State. 03/08/2006. "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005: Iran." Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61688.htm. 02/12/2009.) |
| Nov 2005 |
At an Arab cultural gathering, 81 people were arrested. Reports also indicated that some faced torture in detention. (Amnesty International. 12/2005. "2006 Annual Report for Iran." http://web.amnesty.org/report2006/irn-summary-eng. 02/11/2009.) |
| Nov 4 - 4, 2005 |
3,000 Ahwazis stage a peaceful demonstration, which Ahwazi Human Rights Organization alleges was broken up with tear gas and grenades leading to the death of two. (US Department of State. 03/06/2006. "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005: Iran." Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61688.htm. 02/11/2009.) |
| Feb 1, 2006 - Apr 30, 2005 |
Five Arab women were detained, some along with their children, in order to force their husbands to give themselves up or make confessions. (Amnesty International, World Report 2007: Iran, http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/Regions/Middle-East-and-North-Africa/Iran) |
| Nov 18 - 18, 2006 |
Ahwazi Arabs in London protested outside of Iranian embassy against death sentences issued to 10 Arabs. (Al-Ahwaz News. 11/22/2006. "Ahwazi demonstrations in Britain against the Ahwazi death sentences." http://www.al-ahwaz.com/english/2006-2007/main.php?file=main&ID=article1&link=22-11-2006-2&title=News. 02/12/2009.)
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