The Revolutionary Guard's Newspaper Defends Shooting at Protesters During 'Bloody Friday' in Zahedan

On Saturday, the newspaper Javan, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, acknowledged the shooting at protesting citizens during the bloody events in Zahedan last year. However, it emphasized that if the police had been 'prepared,' they would have shot from rooftops with a sniper to 'limit the shooting radius.' Human Rights Watch referred to the massacre on Friday, October 8, 2022, in Zahedan, known as 'Bloody Friday,' as 'the deadliest crackdown of the year.' The editorial writer justified the shooting at the protesters by stating, 'If the police had known the size of the crowd or the number of armed individuals present, they could have targeted only the armed individuals with a sniper from the rooftop and limited the shooting radius.' The IRGC media labeled the alleged assault on a girl in Chabahar as a 'rumor' and considered linking it to 'Friday prayers' as a 'provocation' to worshippers, attributing the massacre to the 'mixing' of armed individuals with protesting citizens. The claims made by the editorial writer come despite the fact that what he termed a 'rumor' was never independently and impartially investigated according to local sources, and reports from those days indicated efforts by government entities to cover it up. The protests on Friday, October 8, 2022, were sparked by a call related to the news of 'the police chief of Chabahar assaulting a 15-year-old girl' and coincided with a nationwide outcry for justice following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the 'morality police.' Although official Iranian media denied or remained silent on the claim of 'assault,' Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi, the temporary Friday prayer leader of Rask County in Sistan and Baluchestan province, confirmed the news of the police chief's assault on a young Baluch girl in a statement on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, and called for the 'swift punishment of this abusive officer.' Following the public revelation of the assault by Ibrahim Kuchakzai, the police chief of Chabahar, against a 15-year-old Baluch girl, public reaction in Zahedan intensified. The Ham-Mihan newspaper reported at that time that the police chief of Chabahar had been released on bail. On Friday, October 8, 2022, worshippers at the Makki Mosque in Zahedan marched after prayers, demanding accountability for those involved in the case. However, in response to this protest, which took place near the police station close to the Makki Mosque, officers fired at the protesters. The New York Times reported in October of last year, interviewing ten eyewitnesses and human rights activists from Zahedan, as well as several family members of victims and doctors who assisted over 150 injured individuals. According to the New York Times, all of them claimed that security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas at unarmed protesters and ordinary citizens, and eyewitnesses reported that military helicopters were also deployed at the scene. Reviews confirmed key points of the accounts from witnesses and human rights activists. During those days, the IRGC confirmed its presence in the incident by announcing the deaths of 'Hamid Reza Hashemi,' alias 'Ali Mousavi,' the deputy intelligence chief of 'Salaran Corps' in Sistan and Baluchestan, and 'Mohammad Amin Azarshakri' and 'Mohammad Amin Arefi,' members of the IRGC. In a sermon during those days, Mowlavi Abdolhamid advised worshippers to 'maintain their calm until the investigations regarding the assault allegations are concluded.' For a long time, Iranian officials denied any shooting at the people, while dozens of videos of direct shooting by officers at the public have been released. Over the past year, protest Fridays in Zahedan have continued to seek justice for the victims of 'Bloody Friday.' Just yesterday, on the anniversary of this 'massacre,' protesters marched in several cities in Sistan and Baluchestan province, resulting in dozens being injured and arrested due to clashes with security forces. Reports indicate that children were among those injured during the shooting at protesters on the anniversary of Bloody Friday in Zahedan.