Intensification of Severe Security Atmosphere in Sistan and Baluchestan Ahead of Zahedan's Bloody Friday Anniversary

As the first anniversary of 'Bloody Friday' in Zahedan approaches, the news website 'Halosh' reported that government institutions of the Islamic Republic are creating 'earthworks' and 'moats' around Zahedan, accompanied by images of road construction machinery. According to this report, military and security agencies have also reinforced 'checkpoint' stations and increased their forces in Zahedan. In this context, human rights activist Fariba Borhan-Zahi told Voice of America: 'The Islamic Republic is extremely afraid of the masses who are ready to protest on the anniversary of Bloody Friday and, considering the calls and awareness of the widespread presence of people in another protest, has made the atmosphere very security-oriented and has significantly strengthened checkpoints and security measures for greater display of power.' She emphasized that the Baluch people have nothing to lose and will not step back, adding: 'The Islamic Republic considers the Baluch people the most alienated people in Iran and has repeatedly massacred them collectively, and these crimes have never cost the government anything. However, tired of oppression and injustice over the past year, the people have brought the government to its knees with their continuous and relentless presence in the streets, demanding the prosecution of those responsible for the crimes over the years and ultimately the overthrow of the regime, holding Ali Khamenei personally responsible for all these crimes.' Journalist Mehdi Nakhl-Ahmadi also told Voice of America that the widespread killings in Zahedan were intentional and meant to serve as a lesson for other Iranian protesters, stating: 'If one day a fair court is held to address the crimes of the Islamic Republic against the people of Sistan and Baluchestan, all government officials up to the leadership's office and Ali Khamenei himself will be implicated in these crimes.' He added: 'Since 2009, the security of Sistan and Baluchestan has been exclusively under the control of the IRGC, thus the IRGC and the representative of the Supreme Leader are the main players in planning and executing various security, political, and social scenarios in the province.' Nakhl-Ahmadi emphasized that after Bloody Friday, Molavi Abdulhamid called for the identification and fair, transparent, and impartial trial of the perpetrators of this crime, ultimately leading to structural changes in the regime, a demand that remains strong and emphasized by all the people of Sistan and Baluchestan.