Arrest of Three Prominent Art and Cultural Figures in Ahwaz Following the Release of the “Zalmenah” Music Video
Hussain Hazbavi 
Iranian security forces on Wednesday, 18 November 2024, arrested three well-known cultural figures from Ahwaz:
Yousef Gharbawi – Poet
Hussein Jalal – Director
Ali Hamdi – Artist
The arrests came just four days after the release of the Arabic music video “Zalmenah – Our Men,” which garnered tens of thousands of views in a short period and spread widely among Arab youth in Ahwaz.
According to local sources, the content of the video focused on Arab identity, social unity, and civil resistance was the main reason behind the security action taken against them.
Hours after the arrests, the “Zalmenah” video was removed from the artists’ social media pages as well as from their YouTube and Telegram channels.
