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Land-grabbing captures attention of Iranians

Mutual accusations of land-grabbing by two Iranian lawmakers reignite media coverage and public debate about this contentious issue.
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TEHRAN, Iran — Following the revelation of illegal construction on Iran’s vaunted Caspian Sea coast, Iranian media outlets and the public are once again focused on the issue of land-grabbing. This illegal practice ignites debate because of the reported involvement of a multitude of officials and state organizations.

On Aug. 16, the floor of the Majles was rocked by a verbal confrontation between two lawmakers who each accused the other of land-grabbing. According to reporters who saw the clash, Kamaladin Pirmoazzen — a member of parliament from Ardabil and the spokesman for the Environment Committee — got up from his seat, walked up to Safar Naeimi Raz, a Principlist parliament member from Astara, and roared, “You have destroyed our natural resources!” Later, Pirmoazzen told reporters who were waiting outside the building that Raz and a previous Ardabil parliament member had been facilitating illegal villa constructions in the Heyran Pass.

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