The November 2019 national protests were a series of popular protests that were held peacefully in hundreds of cities in Iran. The uprising was triggered on November 15th, 2019 after the government increased the gasoline prices threefold and quickly transformed to protest against the regime in Iran. In the very first hours, the security forces of the Islamic Republic in Iran attacked the protesters and killed them, killing at least 3,000 people and injuring and detaining thousands in only three days until November 17th.
Comprehensive Report of 2019 “Bloody November” Iranian Protests.
Study of the data of 3000+ murdered and 19000+ detained. Includes the names of 850+ murdered.
گزارش جامع«خیزش سراسری آبان۹۸»
بررسی آماربیش از ۳هزارکشته وبیش از ۱۹هزار بازداشتی
با اسامی بیش از ۸۵۰تن ازجانباختگان pic.twitter.com/Ft14uyMQ4D— Human Rights In Iran ?️ (@ir_humanrights) February 21, 2021
At midnight on Friday, November 15, 2019, the National Iranian Petroleum Products Distribution Company announced that gasoline would be rationed and the price of each liter of free gasoline would increase from 10,000 Rials to 30,000 Rials.
From the first minutes of announcing the increase in the gasoline prices, protests took place in some cities, including Ahvaz, Mashhad, and Sirjan. Within hours, the protests spread to hundreds of cities in Iran.
Slogans that initially protested against rising gasoline prices and economic hardships were quickly replaced by slogans against the dictatorial regime and Ali Khamenei – the Supreme Leader of the regime in Iran – himself.
As the protests spread unprecedentedly, the Internet was cut off throughout Iran. Government officials also cited security issues as the definitive reason for shutting down the Internet.
According to Reuters, Ali Khamenei, in a meeting with government officials on Sunday, November 17, 2019, ordered an end to the protests, saying: “The Islamic Republic is in danger, do whatever is necessary to end these protests. “This is my order.” According to the report, Khamenei, who was outraged by the tearing of his image by protesters and the destruction of a statue of Ruhollah Khomeini, said he would hold those present responsible for the results of the protests if the protests did not stop immediately.
Videos recorded by the protesters posted on social media show the blatant and extreme violence of the repressive forces. Most of those killed in the protests were shot in the head and chest, indicating that the shootings were intended to kill protesters.
The Human Rights in Iran website affiliated with the Mehr Center, in a report previously published on December 2, 2019, stated that the number of people killed in the protests was more than 900 and the number of detainees was more than 13,000. Further investigations in the months following the protests show that at least 3,000 people were killed and 19,000 detained as a result of the crackdown on nationwide protests of November 2019.
On the other hand, a study of the number of deaths registered in the official sources of the Civil Registration Organization from autumn 1394 to autumn 1397, shows that the number of deaths in the fall of 1398 was about 8,000 more than the death toll of this season in previous years. So far, no specific reason for this increase has been published by official sources.
The regime conditioned the returning of the bodies of the victims to the families on payments by the families and a pledge not to hold ceremonies for them. In the days after the protests, numerous reports from different parts of the country indicated that up to 800 million Rials had been received by the regime from the families of the victims and that the bodies had been handed over to the families with an undertaking not to hold the ceremony.
Many detainees were subjected to various forms of mental and physical torture including beatings, sexual harassment, rape, and the administration of nerve pills. In the days following the protests, the bodies of a number of detainees were handed over to their families while the effects of beatings and torture were evident on their bodies.
The imposition of harsh sentences such as the death penalty on detainees is one of the government’s measures to prevent similar protests in the future. A few months after the November 2019 massacre, the death sentences of three detainees of the protests, namely Amir Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi and Mohammad Rajabi, were upheld by the Supreme Court and returned to the prosecutor’s office for execution, which was met with a widespread reaction from the Iranian cyberspace users. The hashtag “Do not execute” was widely used and became the first global trend on Twitter. The mass protest of the users continued to the point that it led to the suspension of the execution of the sentence and the permission to resume the inspection for this case.
It is worth mentioning that the November 2019 protests were the most widespread protests against the government of the Islamic Republic since the Islamic Revolution, and the internet outage gave security officials the opportunity to commit mass killings in news silence for about 10 days. The crackdown on protesters also drew widespread international criticism and reactions.
Statistics and information on the scope of these demonstrations and their repression by the Islamic Republic are as follows.
Alborz Province
In Alborz province, clashes were reported in most parts of the province, including Mehrshahr, Kianmehr, Ferdis, Gohardasht, Baghestan, Golshahr, Meshkin Dast, Mohammadshahr, and Marlik.
Many of the injured and killed were taken to hospitals in Karaj, including Shahid Madani Hospital, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ghaem Hospital, Alborz Hospital, Kamali Hospital, Rajaei Hospital, and a number of medical centers.
A number of those killed were buried in Karaj cemeteries, including Behesht Sakineh Shrine, Imamzadeh Mohammad Shrine, and Imamzadeh Taher Shrine. Many families were not allowed to bury their loved ones in Karaj, and their bodies were delivered to their families on the condition that they be buried outside Karaj.
The following bases played an important role in suppressing the protests and killing protesters in Alborz province: Imam Hassan Mojtaba IRGC headquarters in Mohammadshahr, IRGC garrison in Sepah Square, Shahid Panahi Basij base, 413 Kianmehr Basij Resistance, Imam Hossein Basij Resistance in Sepah Square, Shahid Pasand Martyrs Basij Resistance, Shahid Chamran Basij Resistance, Hazrat Amolbanin Basij, Imam Hassan Mojtaba Basij Base, Imam Hadi Golshahr Basij Resistance and Manzaria Ferdis Basij Resistance. In addition, A number of police, special forces and plainclothes were also important factors in repressing and killing the protesters.
Khuzestan Province
Clashes in Khuzestan province, the provincial capital Ahvaz, and many other cities, including Mahshahr and Behbahan, escalated into violent repression by security forces.
One of the important forces in the suppression and killing of protesters in this province was the Seventh Armored Division of Khuzestan Province under the command of Colonel Hassan Hosseinnejad and the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards.
The following individuals and institutions are also considered as other factors in suppressing the protests in this province:
Valiasr Provincial Corps under the command of Brigadier General Hassan Shahvarpour
Karbala regional headquarters under the command of Brigadier General Ahmad Khadem Sayyid al-Shuhada, The third naval of the IRGC under the command of Second Admiral Amrullah Nozari, The police force of Khuzestan province under the command of Brigadier General Haidar Abbaszadeh and Khuzestan Special Unit under the command of Gholamreza Ashrafi.
Mahshahr
Various reports indicate that hundreds of people were killed in Mahshahr. In just one of the clashes in the city, known as the “Neyzar massacre,” large numbers of protesters in the Chamran neighborhood, known as Jarahi, had taken refuge in a marsh in the area to escape repression by security forces. They were barricaded with heavy weapons of war such as DShK. Hundreds of civilians are said to have been killed in the incident.
Many of the injured and killed were taken to Imam Musa Kazem Hospital, Hajieh Narges Hospital and Zeinab Hospital.
Ahwaz
Protests took place in Ahvaz in the main squares and streets of the city and in many other neighborhoods, including Shadegan, Asieh Abad alley, Khazalieh alley, Kut Abdullah, Lashkarabad, Zargan and Ghizaniyeh, and were violently attacked by security forces.
Many of the detainees were transferred to Sepidar Prison, Central Prison, and Sheiban Prison, as well as to the city’s intelligence offices.
The wounded and killed in Ahvaz were transferred to Shafa and Imam Khomeini hospitals, and the bodies of the killed were delivered to their families on condition of silence and avoiding sharing information.
In the days following the protests, the bodies of a number of citizens of the city were found in the Ahwaz River, which, according to eyewitnesses, showed signs of torture and beatings on their bodies.
Behbahan
Behbahan is one of the cities that joined the protests in the first hours of the nationwide protests and was violently attacked in the early hours by security forces, including the “Shahid Baghaei Counterinsurgency Unit.”
The protests in the city started from the National Bank Square in the city and quickly spread to most parts of the city.
Many of the city’s citizens were killed by direct fire from security forces, and many were arrested and transferred to the city’s detention centers, where at least 36 of these detainees have so far been sentenced to severe sentences, including imprisonment and flogging.
The wounded and killed in Behbahan were taken to Ashrafi Isfahani, Mostafa Khomeini and Dr. Shahidzadeh hospitals, and the bodies of a number of the dead were buried in Behesht-e Rezvan in the city after being transformed into their families.
Tehran Province
Protests in Tehran province, in different parts of Tehran and a number of cities in the province, including Shahriyar, Islamshahr and Qala-e-Hassan Khan, were severely suppressed by security forces.
The Revolutionary Guards forces, including the forces of Sarollah base in Tehran, Basij centers, police forces and part of the army forces, are among the main factors in killing and suppressing protesters in this province.
Many of the injured and killed in the protests were taken to hospitals in Tehran. A number of the injured were detained by security forces in hospitals and transferred to security institutions’ detention centers. The bodies of some of those killed were buried in Behesht-e-Zahra, Tehran, under strict security measures, and others were moved out of Tehran.
Shahriar
Published images of the crackdown on protests in Shahriar show security personnel firing at protesters from close range.
The following forces played a key role in suppressing and killing protesters in this city:
Shahriar Basij Resistance under the command of Fayyaz Al-Hayari, Head of Andisheh Friday Imam Headquarters, Shahid Shiroudi Basij Base, Basij of Unknown Martyrs Phase 4 Andisheh, Imam Hossein Basij Mallard Battalion, 207th Imam Ali Shahriar Basij Battalion, Imam Khomeini Basij Base in Vain Shahriar Town and Plainclothes forces, the IRGC and the police.
The dead and injured of the protests in Shahriar were transferred to the hospitals of this city, including Shahriar Social Security Hospital, Milad Hospital, Noor Hospital and Imam Khomeini Hospital.
A number of the dead were buried in the cemeteries of this city, including the cemetery of Behesht Rezvan, and a number of others were buried outside the city.
Islamshahr
Protesters in Islamshahr who joined the nationwide protests by chanting slogans and setting fire to Ali Khamenei’s placard were shot dead by security forces.
Among the individuals and institutions involved in suppressing the popular protests in Islamshahr are Massoud Morsalpour, Governor of Islamshahr, Hamzeh Mohammadi, Friday Imam of Vavan region, Malek Mohammadi, head of Islamshahr Intelligence Office, Assadollah Taghizadeh, former mayor of central Islamshahr, Mazaher Kamalpour, commander of Montazeri Basij base, Abuzar Ghaffari District 287 Basij, Seyed Al-Shohada Basij Resistance Borough, Fatemeh Zahra Mosque Basij, Imam Hussein Battalion and 281 Malik Ashtar Basij District.
The injured and dead of the protests in Islamshahr were transferred to the hospitals of this city, including Imam Zaman Hospital, 400-bed hospital and Imam Reza Charity Clinic. A number of those killed were buried in the Dar al-Salam shrine in the city, and the bodies of others were moved out of the city.
Qala-e-Hassan Khan (Ghods city)
The protests in Qala-e-Hassan Khan area of Tehran province were violently attacked by the order from Leila Vaseghi, the governor of the city. In a video released after the protests, Leila Vaseghi explicitly stated that she had ordered the security forces to shoot and told them to shoot anyone who entered the compound through the governor’s office.
Other agents of repression in this city include Reza Jokar, the Friday prayer leader of the city, IRGC intelligence of the Ghods City, the Ghods City Corps, the Valiasr Basij Resistance, the 155 Jerusalem Basij Resistance, and the Imam Hussein Battalion.
A number of protesters who were killed in Ghods city were buried in the Behesht Fatemeh cemetery inside the city. Many of those killed were buried in other cities under pressure from security forces.
Also in other cities of Tehran province, including Chahardangeh, Baharestan, Kianshahr, Mallard, Bumhan, Nasimshahr, Robat Karim and Parand, clashes led to the injury and killing of many citizens.
Protest detainees in Tehran province were transferred to prisons in the province, including Evin Prison, Qarchak Prison in Varamin, and the Greater Tehran Prison. Many of these detainees are still being held in poor conditions in the province’s prisons, and many have been given harsh judicial sentences.
Fars province
Clashes in Fars province, especially in the Sadra and Ma’aliabad districts, killed and injured hundreds.
In one case, on the evening of November 17th 2019, a helicopter that had landed on the roof of the house of Friday prayer leader of Sadra district fired at the demonstrators who had gathered around his house, causing the killing of a large number of protesters.
The released videos show that in the Ma’ali Abad area, protesters were shot by police officers and special forces present at the scene.
Many of the injured and killed in the protests were taken to Abu Ali Sina Hospital in Shiraz. According to some sources inside the hospital, in just one night, the bodies of about 80 people were taken to the hospital’s morgue.
The important centers for suppressing protests in this province were Imam Hussein IRGC garrison, Baqiyatallah Basij of Shiraz, Sarollah Basij of Shiraz, Salman Farsi Basij of Shiraz, Zarghan IRGC information, 808 Beit al-Moqaddas battalion, Imam Ali Darab battalion, 502nd Shiraz security battalion, the Qamar Bani Hashem Basij, the Najafabad Basij Resistance and the Lamerd IRGC Basij Resistance Center.
Isfahan province
Protests that took place in this province were in the city of Isfahan and most parts of the province, including Yazdanshahr, Qahdarijan, Najafabad, Fereydunshahr, and Zarrinshahr, which were violently attacked by security forces.
Among those who ordered the direct crackdown on protesters in Isfahan were Abbas Rezaei, the governor of Isfahan, Gholamreza Soleimani, the former commander of the Isfahan Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hassan Karami, the commander of the Special Police Unit, and Mohammad Reza Mirheidari, the commander of the Isfahan police force.
Also Fooladshahr Basij forces, Imam Hossein Shahinshahr Battalion, Shahinshahr Security Unit, Basij Resistance Base of Musa Ibn Jafar Mosque, Isfahan Basij Resistance Base, Seyed Ahmad Khomeini, Isfahan Counterinsurgency Unit, Imam Reza Basij Resistance, Najafabad Basij Resistance, Imam Ali Shahinshahr Basij Resistance And Imam Sadegh Basij of Isfahan played an active role in suppressing and killing protesters.
Many of the injured and killed protesters in Isfahan province were transferred to hospitals in the province, including Sina Hospital, Imam Musa Kazem Hospital, Dr. Chamran Hospital, Dr. Shariati Hospital, Shahid Montazeri Hospital in Najafabad and Rasoul Akram Hospital in Fereydunshahr. After being handed over to their families, the bodies of the victims were buried in the city’s cemeteries, including the Zainabieh cemetery in Isfahan, and a large number were moved out of Isfahan to small towns under the pressure of security forces.
Kermanshah province
Kermanshah province including many cities of this province were important areas of popular protests in November 2019. The crackdown on protests in the province was very violent, with hundreds of protesters injured and killed.
In Javanrood, Kermanshah province, people who were protesting peacefully were shot by security forces from above the roof of the city’s courthouse.
Also, the body of at least one of the protesters who had disappeared during the protests was found in the river of Javanrood city, and the effects of torture on his body were evident.
The main individuals and centers of repression of protests in this province include:
Bahman Reyhani, Commander of Hazrat Nabi Akram Corps, Fazlullah Ranjbar, Governor of Kermanshah, Ali Akbar Javidan, Commander of Kermanshah Police Force, Mohammad Hossein Sadeghi, Kermanshah District Prosecutor, Saeed Beheshti, Commander of Kermanshah District Corps, Gholam Ali Yarbigi, Commander of Kermanshah Security Unit and Imam Ali Sepah Battalion, Imam Battalion Ali, Imam Hussein Battalion and Kermanshah Basij Resistance, which includes 10 bases of Basij Resistance.
Most of the injured and killed in the protests in Kermanshah were taken to Taleghani Hospital in the city and a number of others to other medical centers. The bodies of a number of those killed were handed over to their families after pledging to remain silent, and were buried overnight in the province’s cemeteries under security measures. The bodies of a number of others were also transferred outside Kermanshah.
Most of the detainees were transferred to Dieselabad Prison, and a number of them were given heavy court sentences. Also, one of the detainees of these protests committed suicide and ended his life in Dieselabad prison after being sentenced to four years in prison.
Kurdistan Province
The suppression of protests in Kurdistan province, especially in the cities of Sanandaj, Marivan and Kamyaran, resulted in the death and injury of many citizens. After the nationwide internet blockade, Kurdistan Province was one of the last provinces to reconnect to the World Wide Web.
Right at the end of the protests in this province, the bodies of at least 6 protesters whose bodies showed signs of torture were found in Vahdat Dam in Sanandaj, Garan Dam in Marivan and in the village of Babariz. Also, three Mariwani students who were detained during the protests were sexually harassed and threatened with rape.
The repression forces in this province include: Seyyed Sadegh Hosseini, Commander of the Quds Corps of Kurdistan, Ali Azad, Commander of the Kurdistan Police Force, Colonel Ahmad Noor Ali, Commander of the Special Unit of the NAJA in Kurdistan Province, as well as Imam Hossein Battalion of the IRGC, Bijar Basij Resistance and Kurdistan Revolutionary Guard.
The injured and the bodies of those killed in the protests in this province were transferred to Quds Hospital in Sanandaj, Fajr Hospital in Marivan, Tohid Hospital in Sanandaj, Bouali Hospital in Marivan and a number of other medical centers in this province. The bodies of those killed in the province were buried in the province’s cemeteries after being handed over to their families.
Khorasan Razavi Province
Protests took place in Khorasan province in the city of Mashhad and some cities in this province. Rallies in Vakilabad Boulevard in Mashhad were turned violent by security forces with direct fire on people.
The main suppressing forces in this province were: Alireza Razm Hosseini, the then governor of Khorasan Razavi, Yaghoub Ali Nazari, the commander of the Imam Reza Corps, Mohammad Kazem Taghavi, the police chief of the province, and Malik Ashtar Basij, Meqdad Basij, Yaser Basij, Salman Basij, The Basij Resistance Base of Shahid Sabetfar and the Javad Al-Aimeh Center of the Basij in Mashhad.
The injured and those killed in the protests were taken to hospitals across the province. The bodies of some of the dead were buried in the city’s cemeteries after being handed over to their families, and some were transferred to other cities for burial.
Lorestan Province
Protests in Lorestan province happened in Khorramabad, the capital of the province, and in the cities of Dorud, Boroujerd and Poldakhtar and were violently escalated by security forces, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries. A number of protesters were also detained and transferred to prisons and detention centers in the province, including a number of students.
The main forces in suppressing the protests in Lorestan province were Seyed Mousa Khademi, governor of Lorestan, Abbas Dolatshahi, commander of the police force in the province, Morteza Kashkoli, commander of Abolfazl Corps, Karim Zinivand, commander of Dorud city corps, Imam Hossein Dorud battalion, Imam Ali Dorud counter-insurgency battalion, resistance area He mentioned the Basij of Pol-e Dokhtar Corps and the Azna Basij Resistance.
Also in other provinces of the country, including Ilam, Kerman, West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Zanjan, Gilan, Markazi, Golestan, Chaharmahal, and Bakhtiari and Hormozgan, there were sporadic clashes in most parts of the province, which were violently attacked by security forces. Many protesters were killed and injured.
Other provinces
In other provinces of the country, including Khorasan, Ilam, Kerman, West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Zanjan, Gilan, Markazi, Golestan, Lorestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari and Hormozgan, sporadic clashes were taking place in most parts of the province. Violence erupted, killing and injuring scores of protesters.
The order to suppress the oppressors in most of the provinces was issued by the governors, IRGC commanders, police force commanders, special unit commanders, and Basij officials. The plainclothes forces also played an active role in suppressing and killing the protesters.
All the names can be found in the following link
اعتراضات آبان ۹۸؛ دستکم ۳۰۰۰ کشته و بیش از ۱۹ هزار بازداشتی/ اسامی ۸۰۰ تن از شهدای آبان خونین
