New protests erupt in Iran’s southeast as the internet blocked
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Sulaiman
- . February 25, 2023
- . Update: February 25, 2023 1:43 pm
New protests erupted in the southeastern Islamic Republic of Iran 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.
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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.
