Ahwazi: Two Poets Arrested and Taken to an Unknown Location
Photo Courtesy of Ahwazi News
Only weeks after over 20 Ahwazi Arabs were arrested in Defzul [23 August 2016], on 5 October 2016 two Ahwazi Arab cultural activists, Amer Salem Silawi and Aref Nawaseri, were arrested by the Iranian intelligence. Silawi had already been arrested five times for participating and organizing cultural events alongside encouraging Arab youths to wear traditional Arabic clothing. Nawaseri, poet from Falahieh known for reciting Arabic traditional and national poems, was arrested upon arriving home from a funeral of two Ahwazi youths. Both are being held without charge in an unknown location.
Below is an article published by Ahwazi News:
Two Ahwazi Arab cultural activists were arrested by Iranian intelligence and taken to undisclosed locations last night (5 October).
Amer Salem Silawi a 34-year-old father is being held without charge, but his location is unknown. He has already been arrested five times for participating in and organizing cultural events and encouraging Arab youth to wear their traditional Arabic clothes.
The second arrested activist, Aref Nawaseri, is a poet from Falahieh (Shadegan) who recites Arabic traditional and national poems during events, weddings and funerals. He was returning home from the funeral of two Ahwazi youth and was arrested on his arrival. He is also being held without charge at an undisclosed location.
The arrests come just weeks after over 20 Ahwazi Arabs, including an academic and a poet, were arrested in Dezful on 23 August as part of the Iranian regime's clamp-down on social media.
