Iran criticized the stance of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding the protests in Khuzestan province over water shortages, claiming it included "false accusations." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh stated in a statement that "the High Commissioner's remarks about the recent events in Khuzestan are regrettable in terms of their inaccuracies and containing false allegations and misleading information." He believed that "what the High Commissioner stated is closer to a political statement with hostile vocabulary towards Tehran rather than remarks from a concerned international official regarding human rights."
Protests erupted last week over water shortages in oil-rich Khuzestan province, which borders Iraq. Iranian media reported at least three deaths, including a police officer and a protester, during this period. The state television reported on Friday that one person was killed and two others injured Thursday night in Lorestan province during "riots" that were hinted to be connected to the Khuzestan protests.
While Iranian officials accuse "opportunists" and "rioters" of opening fire on protesters and security personnel, international human rights organizations stated on Friday that security forces used "excessive force" against the protesters, and that the death toll exceeds official figures.
UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet stated in a release on Friday that it would be better for Iran to address the issue of water shortages instead of "suppressing" protests. She added, "The government should focus on the dire impact of the water scarcity crisis on the lives, health, and prosperity of Khuzestan residents, and on the protests of frustrated citizens after years of neglect," accusing the government of negligence in facing a "catastrophic situation."
Khatibzadeh argued that these "accusations made without consideration of governmental efforts to alleviate the suffering of the people in this province and resolve existing problems testimony to the political nature and lack of credibility" of Bachelet's stance.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani confirmed in a televised speech on Saturday that "some of these problems have been alleviated so far," hoping for "continued efforts" to fully resolve them.
Khuzestan, overlooking the Gulf, is one of the main oil-producing regions in Iran and one of the wealthiest of the 31 provinces. It is also one of the few areas in Iran with a large Arab population that has previously complained of marginalization. In 2019, Khuzestan witnessed anti-government protests that also extended to other regions of the country.
