Judicial Authority in Zahedan: The Insult by the 'Divisive Mourner' Was Due to 'Ignorance'

The Chief Justice of Sistan and Baluchestan regarding the case of a 'mourner' who was recently arrested for insulting Molavi Abdulhamid and the Sunni community in Iran stated that after 'reminding' this individual of the 'special conditions of the province', he acknowledged that he had been 'punished' and had made an 'error'. According to the government news agency ISNA, Ali Mohammadi-Rad, in a meeting with local figures, which was reported today, referred to the arrest of this individual in Qom and his transfer to Sistan and Baluchestan, saying: 'The special conditions of the province were pointed out to this individual, and it was clarified that he has no connection with the enemy and that this incident occurred out of ignorance and unawareness, while the individual admitted to his mistake.' It was not clarified in the statements of this judicial authority whether the accused is still in custody or has been released. Last Sunday, the public prosecutor and revolutionary prosecutor of Zahedan announced the arrest of this individual in Qom in response to widespread protests from the Sunni community regarding the release of a clip of mourning that contained 'divisive' content. According to government media reports, it has been claimed that this mourner, who was being pursued for publishing a clip with 'divisive content between Shia and Sunni', is to be transferred to Zahedan for further judicial proceedings. In a clip released a few days prior, this mourner insulted Molavi Abdulhamid and the Makki Mosque in Zahedan, which is the site of religious gatherings for Sunnis in the province. In the published video, the mourner states that praying in the Makki Mosque is equivalent to 'adultery' and that 'one cannot eat Abdulhamid's bread.' In this clip, which was recorded at a gathering in Qom, the mourner describes the Makki Mosque as a 'Darar Mosque'. According to these reports, Mehdi Shams-Abadi, the prosecutor of Zahedan, announced that a case had been opened in the Zahedan prosecutor's office based on a report from the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC in Sistan and Baluchestan. Shams-Abadi claimed that this case was referred to the Qom prosecutor's office by proxy, and after the arrest order was issued, the accused was arrested by the intelligence of the IRGC in Qom. The prosecutor of Zahedan promised that the accused would soon be transferred to Zahedan for judicial proceedings. Meanwhile, similar cases in the past have rarely reached the indictment stage or have been concluded with minor penalties. Mostafa Mohami, Khamenei's representative in Sistan and Baluchestan, also described the content of this mourner's performance as an example of 'English Shia' in response to the local people's reactions and called for 'unity'. Meanwhile, the Intelligence Organization of the Salman IRGC province announced that necessary follow-ups had been carried out from the beginning, and a case had been opened for this mourner. In response to these insults, Molavi Abdulhamid stated: 'We do not respond to insults and curses, but we do not leave accusations unanswered.' Meanwhile, Molavi Abdulhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, had previously criticized the Islamic Republic's approach towards Sunnis, stating that despite demands for justice over the past 44 years, 'unfortunately' there has been no justice and equality for Sunnis. According to Molavi Abdulhamid, Sunnis still do not have a mosque in the capital of Iran, and there is 'pressure' in the prayer halls of Sunnis in Tehran. He told the officials of the Islamic Republic: 'You should have given freedom to Sunnis' and should not have made mosques and prayer halls 'security-related'. Previously, in the section related to Iran in the report of the Office of Religious Freedom of the U.S. Department of State, numerous instances of violations and suppression of religious freedoms by the Islamic Republic of Iran have been mentioned. This report also addresses pressures on Bahá'ís, new Christians, dervishes, and Sunnis. Saeed Hadadian, a government mourner: Mohsen Tanabandeh said Googoosh called to thank him from the series Paytakht. Hamidreza Aliymi, a mourner: Some mourners' income during the month of Muharram is in the billions. India condemned Khamenei's remarks regarding the treatment of Muslims in this country. An attack on a journalist in Sanandaj; Ejlal Ghavami: The assailant said he would kill all opposition. The annual report of 'International Religious Freedom' by the U.S. Department of State: The suppression of religious minorities in Iran continues.