Widespread Military Presence in Zahedan; Abdul Hamid: Perpetrators of 'Bloody Friday' Must Be Punished

On the eve of the second anniversary of the 'Bloody Friday' in Zahedan and simultaneous with the intensified military presence in the city, Molavi Abdul Hamid referred to the event as a 'great tragedy' and emphasized the need for justice and punishment for the criminals involved. Reports indicate a significant number of military personnel around the Makki Mosque in Zahedan. In his Friday prayer sermon on October 6, he noted the statistic of 300 injured from the Bloody Friday incident, labeling it as 'clear oppression' and once again called for the formation of a case and punishment for those responsible for this 'great tragedy.' This influential Sunni figure stressed that 'a case must be formed for all those involved,' including the perpetrators and instigators. Molavi Abdul Hamid had previously criticized the lack of accountability for the military and Basij commanders involved in the incident during the trial of the accused last Esfand. He described the occurrence of 'this tragedy' as a 'result of discrimination' and added that 'if all citizens, including Sunnis, had been together in the armed forces, this would not have happened.' He characterized the absence of Sunni citizens in Iranian administrative and decision-making centers since the 1979 revolution as another sign of the Iranian government's discrimination. During his sermon, he reiterated the need for fair treatment and justice for the victims and survivors of the Bloody Friday incident and the removal of discrimination. Following protests against the assault of a police commander on a teenage Baloch girl in front of the Zahedan police station on October 8, 2022, police opened fire on the demonstrators, resulting in at least 100 deaths and approximately 300 injuries. According to published reports, some worshippers marched out of the Makki Mosque and chanted protest slogans such as 'By the blood of our comrades, we stand until the end.' Meanwhile, Iranian media reported armed clashes in the 'Tehlap' region of the 'Hast Shahrivar' village near the city of Mirjaveh in Sistan and Baluchestan province. Reports indicate that the clashes began early on Friday morning, with witnesses hearing heavy weapon fire, including mortars and RPGs. 'Halosh,' which covers news related to Sistan and Baluchestan, described the clashes as stemming from an attack by armed assailants on two Revolutionary Guard and border patrol stations. No information has been released regarding potential casualties from these clashes. The pressure on the families seeking justice continues; the 15-year-old brother of one of the victims of the Zahedan protests has been arrested. Following Molavi Abdul Hamid's protests regarding the elections, four other Sunni clerics were arrested in Urmia. Molavi Abdul Hamid stated that the government of Ebrahim Raisi has oppressed 'Sunnis' and the people of Iran and called for an 'impartial' investigation into the murder case of Nika Shakeri.