Human Rights Organization Criticizes Acquittal of Perpetrators and Commanders of the 'Bloody Massacre' in Zahedan

The Iran Human Rights Campaign pointed to the acquittal of the main perpetrators and commanders of the 'Bloody Friday Massacre in Zahedan' by the military court of Sistan and Baluchestan province, describing it as a 'deliberate and purposeful refusal' to 'prosecute senior officials responsible for gross human rights violations and the commission of international crimes.' The campaign noted that the 'sham and non-public trial' led to only a few low-ranking officers receiving minor punishments, allowing senior government officials and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to remain immune from any prosecution or accountability. This human rights organization emphasized that the ruling of the military court of Sistan and Baluchestan 'once again confirms the long-standing policy of the Islamic Republic in creating judicial immunity for those involved in state crimes,' stating that this ruling 'clearly shows that the concept of seeking justice and accountability has no place or credibility in the judiciary of the Islamic Republic.' According to Behnam Darayizadeh, a lawyer and senior researcher at the Iran Human Rights Campaign, 'the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has repeatedly shown its inability to impartially address the crimes of its own agents.' He added, 'The reality is that the deliberate efforts of the Islamic Republic's judiciary to conceal the truth and openly support the perpetrators of these organized crimes are the main obstacles to achieving justice and advancing the cause of accountability in Iran.' Following the shooting of protesters by government forces in Zahedan on October 8, 2022, at least 100 people, including children, were killed, and more than 300 others were injured. These protests erupted in response to a call for demonstrations against the assault of the police commander of Chabahar on a 15-year-old girl, coinciding with nationwide protests in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police. The protest gathering in Zahedan, held after Friday prayers, faced violent clashes and direct gunfire from security forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Iran Human Rights Campaign wrote: 'The massacre of October 8, 2022, in Zahedan is one of the deadliest government crackdowns during the uprising for women, life, and freedom,' adding: 'This bloody event is a clear and concrete example of the systematic violence of the Islamic Republic against ethnic and religious minorities, especially the Baluch people, which continues in various layers and forms.' Behnam Darayizadeh stated: 'Achieving justice from a government that itself is the perpetrator of the crime is impossible,' and added: 'For a fair and transparent investigation into crimes like the Bloody Friday massacre in Zahedan, international mechanisms are needed.' He noted: 'The clear and significant refusal of the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic to hold senior officials and the main perpetrators of this crime accountable is accompanied by the continuous harassment of the families of victims and activists of the accountability movement, showing how planned and reckless the Islamic Republic is in this regard and its pursuit of creating and consolidating a fabricated judicial immunity for the perpetrators and commanders of these crimes.' The report from this human rights organization referenced the report of the UN fact-finding committee investigating government crimes during the protests of 2022, stating that this committee 'emphasized the lack of effective accountability mechanisms in Iran for victims of government repression and pointed to alternative paths for achieving justice outside of Iran. Among these paths is the prosecution of the officials of the Islamic Republic and the perpetrators of these crimes in international criminal courts based on the principle of universal jurisdiction.'