Failed Assassination Plot Against Molavi Abdulhamid; IRGC Agent Arrested 'Undercover as a Cleric'

Unofficial news sources report that the IRGC's intelligence organization attempted to carry out a 'biological assassination' of the Sunni Imam of Zahedan, but this effort was thwarted with the identification and arrest of an individual tasked with assassinating Molavi Abdulhamid. Currently, Voice of America cannot independently verify the accuracy of this news. The Telegram channel 'Hal-Vash,' which covers human rights news related to Sistan and Baluchestan, reported on Tuesday, June 19, citing unnamed sources, that the security personnel of the Makki Mosque in Zahedan arrested an individual who, disguised as a religious student, was allegedly assigned by the IRGC to assassinate Molavi Abdulhamid with 'poison.' According to this report, the individual is a 'Baluch' residing in the 'Delgan' region of Sistan and Baluchestan and has been living and worshipping in the mosque as a religious student for a long time. The report adds that the arrested individual 'intended to biologically assassinate Molavi Abdulhamid' and 'in his confessions, stated he was tasked with using poison provided by the IRGC to assassinate the Sunni Imam of Zahedan.' Based on this report, the arrested individual 'confessed that he had been receiving a salary of 15 million tomans per week' since the 'beginning of his operation.' The Hal-Vash report also mentions that previously, 'Molavi Mohammad Omar Malazahi,' a prominent Baluch cleric in the Kuhon region of Sarbaz County in Sistan and Baluchestan, was assassinated using the same method on March 13, 2007. Abdulhamid Ismailzahi, known as Molavi Abdulhamid, has openly opposed the policies of the Islamic Republic several times in recent months. According to the speeches of this Sunni religious figure, Molavi Abdulhamid has repeatedly defended the rights of all Iranians, especially women, ethnic groups, and religious minorities, holding the Islamic Republic responsible for the situation of Iranians. In recent days, Islamic Republic officials prevented him from traveling to Hajj, and according to Molavi Abdulhamid, in addition to being banned from leaving the country, he has faced opposition from security officials even for traveling to a region in western Sistan and Baluchestan. Abdul Sattar Doshoqi, a Baluch political activist, recently told Voice of America that Molavi Abdulhamid defends the violated rights of women, Baha'is, and other minorities not only as a regional leader but as a national leader. Following the nationwide protests after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, the security forces of the Islamic Republic shot and killed over 100 people in Mehr 1401 (October 2022) after Friday prayers in Zahedan, and since then, weekly protests have been ongoing in Zahedan after Friday prayers with speeches by Molavi Abdulhamid. According to leaked documents from the IRGC-affiliated news agency, the conclusion of the Supreme National Security Council and the police in recent months was that Molavi Abdulhamid should be arrested, but in those documents, Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, ordered that 'during the investigation of the protests in Zahedan, Molavi Abdulhamid should not be arrested; rather, he should be discredited.' Mehdi Nakhl Ahmadi, a journalist, stated in an interview with Voice of America that Molavi Abdulhamid emphasizes 'Iran and the unity of all its ethnic groups.' Molavi Abdulhamid has once again called for a referendum and criticized the clerics' government. He has reacted to revelations about the 1988 massacre, stating that crimes in detention centers still exist.