Abdul Ghafar Naqshbandi Emphasizes the Need for Nationwide Action in Balochistan on the Anniversary of 'Bloody Friday'

A report published by the news website 'Halosh' shows that as the anniversary of 'Bloody Friday' in Zahedan approaches, Abdul Ghafar Naqshbandi has spoken about the necessity of a nationwide action throughout Balochistan. The son of Mawlawi Fathi Mohammad Naqshbandi urged scholars and the general public to respond to the anniversary of Bloody Friday in Zahedan by organizing public protests on Friday and nationwide strikes on Saturday. Abdul Ghafar Naqshbandi stated, 'We did not shed blood to compromise; we shed blood to cleanse our land from bloodsuckers.' He referred to the lack of prosecution and fair investigation into the 'Bloody Friday' case, saying, 'It is the duty of scholars and the general public to raise their voices for the oppressed after Friday prayers.' On Sunday, October 2, Abdul Ghafar Naqshbandi also announced on the messaging platform 'X' that according to 'news received after about a month of his detention,' the Sunni Imam of Rask is under 'physical and psychological torture' in the intelligence department's detention center in Zahedan. The son of the detained Sunni Imam of Rask wrote on a picture of his father that he has been tortured 'with a taser and an electric iron.' Mawlawi Fathi Mohammad Naqshbandi, the Sunni Imam of Rask, was arrested on Sunday, August 20, on charges of 'disturbing public opinion through false speeches, slander, and defamation against the Islamic Republic of Iran and actions against national security and illegal seizure of national lands.' After the arrest of this Sunni cleric, the public relations office of the judiciary in Sistan and Baluchestan announced that Mawlawi Fathi Mohammad Naqshbandi had 'harsh and aligned positions with the opponents of the Islamic regime' in recent months and claimed that he 'invited people to riots and street disturbances through false speeches in his Friday sermons and sessions.' Mawlawi Abdul Hamid, the Sunni Imam of Zahedan, previously reacted to the arrest of Fathi Mohammad Naqshbandi, describing him as 'a popular figure and a prominent scholar' who was arrested for 'criticizing the actions of officials,' stating that 'this arrest will lead to increased dissatisfaction and his freedom is in everyone's interest.' Fariba Baloch, a civil activist from Sistan and Baluchestan, previously told Voice of America that the arrest of Mawlawi Fathi Mohammad Naqshbandi 'has ignited the anger of Baloch citizens.' Additionally, Rahim Banduyi, a member of the central council of the 'People's Party of Balochistan,' told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic aims to intimidate the people of Iran through 'the killing and detention' of Baloch citizens. In recent days, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom expressed concern over the increased pressure on religious minorities in Iran and the detention of their leaders in a statement marking the first anniversary of the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini while in the custody of the Islamic Republic's police.