Iranian Sunni Cleric Denounce Torture of Protesters As Un-Islamic
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Alaina
- . January 7, 2023
- . Update: January 7, 2023 3:16 pm
Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi, an Iranian Sunni Muslim cleric, has denounced the alleged use of torture on protesters as “un-Islamic.”
While attending a Friday prayer sermon, Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi condemned the use of forced confessions to convict detained protesters who participated in weekly demonstrations.
The Iranian authorities are continuing arrests of anti-government protesters, including a celebrity chef, Iranian actors and prominent journalists.
The top Iranian Sunni Muslim Cleric reportedly said, “The beating of the accused has no place in sharia law and our country’s Constitution.” He alleged that protesters were tortured during the demonstration.
Anti-government protests took place on Friday in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province. Anti-government marches were held in Zahedan, the capital of the impoverished Sistan-Baluchistan province. In Zahedan, people chanted, “Death to the Islamic Republic.”
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Reportedly, the Iranian authorities have pressured Ismaeelzahi by banning him from travelling to other countries. Ismaeelzahi has repeatedly denounced mass arrests in Zahedan, home to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Baluch minority.
Meanwhile, Navab Ebrahimi, famous celebrity chef, was arrested in Tehran, the capital of Iran. The chef was taken to the Evin prison, a prison located in the Evin neighbourhood of Tehran. His Instagram account with 2.7 million followers was unavailable on Friday.
Mehdi Beik, the head of the political desk of the moderate newspaper Etemad, was arrested on Thursday. The Iranian officials did not give the reasons for the detention of Beik.
The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists said that around 84 journalists were arrested in Iran for allegedly covering protests. Out of these arrested journalists, 36 protesters were released on bail.
The protests erupted in the country in September 2022 after the death of a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of the country’s controversial morality police. People took to the streets to demand justice for Amini who was allegedly arrested for wearing a loose hijab.
