Iran's Interior Minister Orders 'Increased Follow-up' on the Case of 'Assault on 41 Girls' in Iranshahr

Iran's Interior Minister, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, issued a directive to the governor of Sistan and Baluchestan following reports of the 'assault on 41 girls' in Iranshahr, calling for 'increased' follow-up on the matter and the preparation of an 'accurate' report. He also requested that 'maximum interaction with the people, especially the elders and influential figures in the region' be established to prevent 'exploitation of the wounded feelings and emotions' of the public. On Sunday, June 17, he instructed Danial Mohibi, the governor of Sistan and Baluchestan, to ensure that alongside judicial follow-ups, a thorough and comprehensive review of the issue is conducted through the provincial security council, and a detailed report is provided to the public as soon as possible. On Friday, Molavi Tayeb Malazahi, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Iranshahr, announced during Eid al-Fitr prayers about the 'assault on 41 girls' in the city and the arrest of one of the suspects. However, judicial officials in Sistan and Baluchestan rejected his statements regarding the details of these assaults, only mentioning 'assault on three girls.' Meanwhile, Ali Mohammadi Rad, the prosecutor of Zahedan, stated on Sunday that currently three individuals have filed complaints 'under the title of kidnapping and sexual assault,' noting that 'one of them was assaulted last December, another in May, and the third in June.' According to Mr. Mohammadi Rad, of these three individuals, 'only one has agreed to undergo medical examinations at the forensic medicine.' He mentioned that there are four suspects, one of whom has been arrested. Ebrahim Hamidi, the head of the judiciary in Sistan and Baluchestan, also stated that the statements of the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Iranshahr regarding the details of this incident 'are not confirmed.' He added, 'It is possible that some of these individuals had prior connections with each other that later led to a dispute and resulted in a complaint, and some cases may also involve sexual assault, which needs to be investigated.' A group of people in Iranshahr gathered in front of the city governor's office on Sunday, demanding attention to this case. Nabi Bakhsh Davoodi, the governor of Iranshahr, engaged in dialogue with the protesters and announced 'special follow-up' on this matter. On June 9, reports emerged about the assault of a five-year-old Afghan girl named Bahareh living in Khomeini Shahr, Isfahan, and a few days later, the head of the forensic medicine organization confirmed that the assault on her had been verified. However, Mohammad Javad Abtahi, the representative of this district, expressed doubt about the assault on this girl, suggesting that her bleeding might have been caused by the entry of a 'Pepsi bottle.' These comments from Mr. Abtahi sparked widespread protests on social media.