Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, October 5, 2019—Residents of Lordegan county, Charmahal & Bakhtiari Province in southern Iran, held a rally on Saturday, October 5, protesting regime authorities’ negligence in using infected syringes that led to nearly 300 residents being infected with the HIV virus.
Oct 5 – Chenar Mahmoudi village, Lordegan, southern #Iran
Angry residents attacking the mayor's office and local Health Department branch.pic.twitter.com/2LcNnoP9xn— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 5, 2019
This rally was held outside the local Health Department branch and regime officials dispatched oppressive security forces who opened fire on the peaceful demonstrators, aiming to disperse the crowd. In response, the locals attacked the mayor’s office and the Health Department branch, setting both buildings on fire.
The brave protesters have been chanting, “No fear! We’re all together!”
Oct 5 – Chenar Mahmoudi village, Lordegan, southern #Iran
Angry youths set fire to the local Friday prayer imam office. Repressive security forces open fire to disperse the protesters.Chants:
"No fear! We're all together!"pic.twitter.com/qolZRFo4j6— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 5, 2019
Setting the office of supreme leader representative in fire
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Protests erupted in Charmahal Bakhtiari province after 300 inhabitants of the Lordegan county became inflicted with HIV as a result of mismanagement of the Iranian regime’s health ministry. On Wednesday, a crowd of residents, mostly women, held a demonstration in front of the governor’s office and the health ministry’s office in Lordegan.
The crisis erupted when the health ministry’s employees used polluted syringes for blood tests, which resulted in the HIV virus being transferred to many residents in the Chenar Mahmoud village. According to reports, the incident has also affected inhabitants of other neighboring villages.
In Lordegan, regime officials have started blaming each other and refrain from assuming responsibility for the scandal. One regime official blamed the health administrator of the village for the spread of the HIV virus.
“The people of Chenar Mahmoud are scared,” one villager said. “Many refrain from taking blood tests out of fear of finding out they have been infected. Every family of two or three has become inflicted with the virus. Anyone who has taken the test has turned out to be positive. And no one asks this regime, why do you need to test a nine-year-old kid for cholesterol and blood sugar and inflict them with AIDS.”
Dr. Daneshgari: My sources within #Iran, say: #Iran’s health condition is hurt because of #IRGC’s embezzlement not because of the sanctions. #IranConferenceNYC#FreeIran pic.twitter.com/jynymJs5nJ
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) September 24, 2019
Regarding the incident, one of the residents said, “The health ministry came to our village for free blood sugar and insulin tests. The syringes they employed had already been used and were infected with the virus. Anyone who was tested became inflicted with an unknown virus. Some people say it’s HIV. Some say it’s a similar virus. Now, after a few weeks, they’ve brought in a doctor from Tehran to test the residents and figure out which virus it is.”
Another resident said, “Until this moment, 500 people have been tested for HIV and they’re all positive. The health ministry is not assuming responsibility for anything. Officials are saying we didn’t distribute the syringes. The local authorities aren’t taking responsibility either and are blaming central health authorities.”
