Local Official Warns of Potential Murder of Rape Victims in Iranshahr by Their Families

The central governor of 'Nikshahr' in Sistan and Baluchestan province warned about the potential murder of girls who are victims of rape in 'Iranshahr' by their own families. A member of parliament also stated that the arrested suspect has a 'base' of power and wealth. Last Friday, Molavi Tayeb Malazahi, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Iranshahr, spoke during the Eid al-Fitr sermon about 'the rape of 41 girls' in this city, which sparked widespread reactions. Judicial officials in Sistan and Baluchestan denied the rape of 41 individuals in the area, only reporting 'the rape of three girls.' They stated that there are 'four' suspects in the case, one of whom has been arrested. Meanwhile, Mohammad Baloch-Zehi, the central governor of Nikshahr, warned on Twitter about the possibility of 'physical elimination of the victims' by their families to 'clean the issue.' He wrote that 'most families of rape victims consider their daughters a stain on their honor' and that 'in similar cases, some families' have resorted to killing them to remove this 'stain.' Expressing clear concern for the status of these 'innocent girls,' he hoped that 'responsible institutions would take the necessary consultations into account.' The central governor of Nikshahr also tweeted that the reason for the increase in the number of rape victims in 'Iranshahr' is the 'apparent prudent silence' of the families of the initial victims. According to him, their silence out of 'fear of honor' has 'facilitated more rapes and broadened the scope of violations against victims.' As reported by the Iran Medical Sciences University, 'a medical team from the Ministry of Health has been dispatched to the area to investigate various aspects of the tragedy of the rapes of girls in Iranshahr.' Although the governor of Iranshahr stated that the number of girls who are victims of rape in Iranshahr is still unclear, Molavi Tayeb Malazahi, the Friday prayer leader of Iranshahr, stated that the arrested individual, who is 'wealthy and affluent,' has confessed to 41 cases of 'rape.' He referred to this individual as 'thugs' and added, 'These thugs have been among our own children, and if I mention their names, some will hang their heads in shame.' According to Mr. Malazahi, the father of one of these girls spoke with him about the issue and said that his daughter was kidnapped by a group while returning from work during Ramadan and was in the hands of 'these wolves' until sunset. The Friday prayer leader of Iranshahr also added that 'unfortunately, some have power, and some have wealth, and sometimes the combination of these two groups leads to incidents like the rapes of girls in Iranshahr.' A member of the Women's Faction of the Islamic Consultative Assembly also confirmed the statements of the Friday prayer leader of Iranshahr, stating that based on his inquiries from 'unofficial sources,' the arrested individual 'has a base of power and wealth.' Tayebeh Siavoshi, in an interview with the state news agency IRNA, considered the public revelation of this issue by the Friday prayer leader as 'thought-provoking.' This member of parliament described the incident that occurred in Iranshahr as 'criminal' and added that 'we are not precisely aware of its objectives, whether it is linked to ethnic and tribal conflicts or not.' According to Ms. Siavoshi, the issue is set to be discussed in the open session on Tuesday, June 29. Following the reports of multiple rapes of several girls in Iranshahr, a number of citizens also gathered in front of the governor's office in the city on Sunday, demanding attention to this case. Nabi Baksh Davoodi, the governor of Iranshahr, announced his 'special follow-up' on this issue while present among the protesters. The protesters were dispersed by police intervention, and unconfirmed reports also emerged regarding the arrest of several of them. Mohammad Naim Aminifard, the representative of Iranshahr, also announced that so far, four affected individuals have undergone medical examinations and disease screenings and have received medical support. After the reports about 'the rape of 41 girls' in Iranshahr were published, the Iranian Minister of Interior also issued an order to the governor of Sistan and Baluchestan, calling for 'intensified' follow-up on this issue and the preparation of a 'detailed' report on it. Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli also requested that 'maximum interaction with the people, especially the elders and influencers of the region,' be ensured to prevent 'exploitation of the wounded feelings and emotions' of the people.