New protests erupted in the southeastern Islamic Republic ofIran against the Iranian government despite a security presence and apparent
blocking of the internet, according to activists in Iran.
Demonstrations took place on Friday. The videos of the protest
were posted on Telegram by the Baluch Activists Campaign (BAC). Protesters were
chanting, “Death to the dictator” as they marched through the centre of
Zahedan, the capital of the Sistan-Baluchistan province of the Islamic Republic
of Iran.
Another video footage showed that Iranian security forces
were beating and arresting a Baluch man who was trying to enter the Makki
Mosque in Zahedan. NetBlocks internet monitor also reported blocking of the
internet in Zahedan amid a growing security presence. People showed their
frustration and anger after a report suggested that a medical doctor had been
killed in police custody after being arrested by the security forces for
participating in the protests.
Anti-government protests have rocked Iran since September 2022.
The protests were sparked by the death in custody of a 22-year-old
Kurdish-Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the Iranian morality
police for flouting the mandatory hijab policy. She was arrested on September
13 in Tehran for wearing a loose hijab. Iranian law requires women to entirely
cover their hair with hijab and their bodies with loose clothes.
Since September, huge protests have been taking place in
Zahedan. According to the Oslo-based non-governmental organization Iran Human
Rights (IHR), at least 131 people have been killed in protests. According to
Amnesty International, many deaths were reported on a single day in Zahedan on
September 30. Reportedly, at least 66 people were killed on September 30 for
participating in protests. Human rights activists dubbed the day “Bloody
Friday.” They accused Iranian security forces of indiscriminately firing on
protesters.
The protests have reduced in recent weeks probably because
of executions and crackdowns. Iranian authorities executed some people over
their participation in protests.