Internet Disruption and Security Atmosphere in Zahedan Coinciding with Silent March

Amid internet disruptions and a heightened security atmosphere in Zahedan, worshippers in the city held a silent march on Friday, July 9. According to some reports, the silence during this march was requested by Molavi Abdolhamid, an influential Sunni cleric, as a sign of respect for the Eid al-Adha celebrations. During this year's Ramadan, Molavi Abdolhamid had also asked protesters to refrain from chanting slogans during their Friday march in respect for the holy month. Molavi Abdolhamid, who had delivered a speech on Thursday for Eid al-Adha, was absent from this week's Friday prayer in Zahedan, which was led by Molavi Abdulghani Badri, the educational deputy of Dar al-Uloom and the temporary Friday prayer leader of Zahedan. Meanwhile, the website 'NetBlocks', which monitors internet status worldwide, reported internet disruptions during the anti-government protests at Zahedan's Friday prayers. According to 'NetBlocks', the disruptions align with a consistent pattern of internet outages during similar demonstrations. Concurrently, the 'Halosh' website, which covers news related to Sistan and Baluchestan, reported the arrest of several individuals around Makki Mosque and Zahedan prayer grounds by security forces. There has been no information released about the identities of those arrested or the reasons for their detention. 'Halosh' also reported that plainclothes security forces arrested two individuals named Imran Barahoi and Ali Ahmad Lajahi on Thursday, July 8, for 'installing a banner congratulating Eid al-Adha to Molavi Abdolhamid' in Zahedan. Additionally, 'Halosh' reported the presence of police forces around Khalil Mosque in the city of Khash on Friday, July 9, and a severe security atmosphere lasting several hours in that city. Friday protests in cities of Sistan and Baluchestan province began last year following the deaths of over a hundred worshippers in Zahedan on Friday, October 8, and have continued to this day. The Iranian government's efforts to stop these protests through increased pressure and widespread arrests of protesters in Sistan and Baluchestan have so far been unsuccessful. The severely security-laden atmosphere, the widespread presence of police forces in Zahedan, and internet disruptions reflect the ongoing tensions in the region.