Molavi Abdolhamid: French Police Did Not Blind Any Protester or Kill Anyone

The Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, in his sermon on July 7, referred to the "riots" in France, where hundreds of homes and cars were burned and police stations were attacked by protesters, stating that the police did not blind anyone or kill any protesters. According to Molavi Abdolhamid, the people of Iran have the right to protest according to the law and should not be attacked with live ammunition or blinded. This prominent Sunni cleric referred to the UN's fact-finding committee report on the suppression of protesters in Iran, stating that he has repeatedly urged officials to open prisons to international committees. He emphasized that no official has the right to torture a prisoner or extract forced confessions, which he declared invalid. In another part of his speech, he referred to the "bitter" incident of the Ukrainian airplane for "all the Iranian nation" and questioned why this matter was not investigated impartially. He added that he has also asked this question of Ebrahim Raisi, the President of Iran. He stated that the recourse of Iranians seeking justice to international courts is a result of the lack of attention to their complaints within the country. The Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan briefly mentioned the readiness of reformists for the upcoming parliamentary elections, stating that the people of Iran have moved beyond them and the principlists. Reports indicate that internet disruptions occurred in Sistan and Baluchestan province, particularly in Zahedan, on Friday, which prevented the broadcast of Molavi Abdolhamid's sermon from his Instagram page. According to shared posts on social media, Zahedan was the scene of the fortieth "Protest Friday" following the massacre of worshippers in this city last October. Among the slogans of the Zahedani protesters on Friday, July 7, were "I will take back the blood of my martyr brother" and "Political prisoners must be freed." Molavi Abdolhamid advised Sunni scholars to pay attention to the interests of the nation. A group of "religious reformist" figures supported Molavi Abdolhamid. Internet disruptions and the establishment of a security atmosphere in Zahedan coincided with the holding of a silent march. There were two different demands from the judiciary, one in Tehran and one from Zahedan. The office of Molavi Abdolhamid responded to accusations from government media, stating they were completely false. The government's news agency reacted to recent arrests in Zahedan, stating there would be a "decisive response" to those spreading "rumors" aimed at "chaos." Molavi Abdolhamid stated that he would risk any threat in the interest of the people. There was a significant presence of security forces in Sistan and Baluchestan; protesters chanted, "I will kill whoever killed my brother."