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Despite the strict media blackout imposed on Arab-Iranians since the start of the protests on April 15, also called Day of Fury, AlArabiya.net managed to speak to a female activist from the heart of the conflict in Ahwaz.

A female Arab-Iranian activist who calls herself “Ebnat al-Ahwaz,” Arabic for “Daughter of Ahwaz,” spoke to Al Arabiya.net from the city of Ahwaz, the capital of the predominantly-Arab province of Khuzestan, previously called Arabstan.

“The province is going through a very tough time,” she said in an interview with AlArabiya.net in which she appeared masked for fear of retaliation by the Iranian authorities. “Iranian security forces are imposing a strict siege on us and are using militiamen dressed in civilian clothes and they disperse demonstrations by force.”

She added that the paramilitary Basij forces are also playing a major role in suppressing the revolts that started on April 15 in commemoration of Bloody Friday, when more than 20 Arab-Iranians were killed, 500 injured, and 250 arrested on April 15, 2005 during protests in the city of Ahwaz.