The title deed for one of Iran’s most significant rivers in Mashhad is registered in the names of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, the Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order, and the Tus Plateau Private Company.
Despite rivers being considered public property, akin to forests and other natural areas, two governmental institutions and a private company are vying for a stake in Mashhad’s Chehelbazeh River. It is worth noting that, even according to the laws of this regime, the transfer of ownership for such natural resources is not permissible.
Chehelbazeh, upon which the Golestan Dam was constructed during the Timurid period, stands as one of the most crucial tributaries of the Kashf River in the northeast of Iran.
In the aftermath of the 1979 revolution, the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs and the Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order persistently seized both public and private properties, including the Chehelbazeh River.
In the subsequent years, amidst ongoing disputes between these two governmental entities and the Tus Plateau Private Company, approximately 115 hectares of land surrounding the river exchanged hands among them, with no official documentation to validate the transactions.
On Monday, January 22, the state-run Sharq newspaper exposed a concerning development in a report titled ‘Slaughter of Chehelbazeh River.’ The report revealed that the Tus Plateau Private Company had allegedly ‘sold 4,800 half-meter shares of these lands to more than 300 ordinary people without possessing an official document.’ These individuals claimed that, at the time, they had barely secured the funds for acquiring these lands.
According to the report, the regional water company of the Ministry of Energy, tasked with safeguarding Chehelbazeh River as the representative of the Ministry of Energy, faced setbacks over two decades due to the ‘comprehensive pressure from some high-ranking authorities.’
The Regional Water Company asserts that it engaged in various correspondences with all pertinent authorities concerning the state of Chehelbazeh River, urging them to prevent the current situation. However, some authorities ignored the appeals, some refrained due to expediency, and others pursued their intentions more forcefully.
In November of 2023, following the assertions of ownership by the two government institutions and the private company regarding the Chehelbazeh River, the regime’s state-run media declared that the claimants would relinquish ownership of the river in exchange for land.
Contrary to this announcement, recent evidence indicates not only dissatisfaction with the compensatory land but also the issuance of ownership documents for two government entities. Additionally, the process of transferring ownership of another section of the river to the Tus Plateau Private Company is currently in progress.
The issuance of the river ownership document in the name of these institutions occurred amid widespread protests from environmental activists, communities, environmental organizations, and other related groups. It is noteworthy that the Chief Justice of Khorasan Razavi had previously pledged to uphold public rights in matters concerning national lands.
However, recent reports indicate that, despite being fully aware of this critical and perilous situation, the officials of the regime have chosen to disregard the scientific warnings from environmental experts, as well as protests from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil activists. They have, in fact, given approval to the transfer of the Chehelbazeh River.
Mohammad Allah Moti, Secretary of Environmental and Natural Resources Organizations, who had previously raised concerns in a letter to the Parliament’s Article 90 Commission, shared his perspective with the Payam-e Ma newspaper, stating, “The issue has two facets: firstly, the illegal issuance of a title deed for the river, and secondly, the allocation of compensated land to a private company that originally had no rights to these lands. By selling shares to the public, the company is attempting to either acquire these lands or take control of the compensated land.”
This environmental activist also denounced the passive performance of the regime’s Ministry of Energy, citing it as a glaring example of the terrible state of Iran’s rivers under the current management. Reactions to the transfer of ownership of Chehelbazeh extend beyond isolated cases, as numerous environmental activists have expressed critical sentiments regarding this issue in recent months.
Even in accordance with the regime’s laws, the delineation of boundaries and riverbeds falls under the jurisdiction of the regional water company. The law explicitly prohibits the registration of public assets in the name of any organization. Concerning the riverbeds and privacy of rivers, there is widespread bewilderment among the public regarding how these aspects can be deeded in the name of an institution.
Environmentalists caution that Chehelbazeh is a river that, during floods, should have the capacity to flow unimpeded without causing loss of life or property. If it is captured and privatized, these risks will undoubtedly become unavoidable.
On the flip side, the riverbeds of rivers, reservoirs, and canals play a crucial role in replenishing underground water aquifers. If these areas deviate from their ecological function, there is no doubt that the replenishment of underground water aquifers will be significantly impacted.
Several other environmental activists have also sounded the alarm about the potential acceleration of Mashhad’s subsidence process if ownership of Chehelbazeh is transferred. Despite these warnings, regime institutions and the Tus Plateau Private Company seem singularly focused on their financial gains.
In November 2023, Mohammad Alaei, the former CEO of Razavi Khorasan Region Water Company, conveyed to Etemad newspaper that Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, the deputy of the regime’s president Ebrahim Raisi and the head of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, ‘is persistent in obtaining the Chehelbazeh deed in favor of this Foundation. His actions resemble an attempt to alter the law.’
Nasser Sadeghianpour, the legal director of Khorasan Razavi Regional Water Company, also previously stated that the Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order is asserting ownership of this public space, relying on a court ruling issued in its favor.
