London: Amnesty International has strongly condemned the crackdown by the Revolutionary Guards and security forces against worshipers and civilians in Zahedan, Iran.
Human rights organization Amnesty International said in a statement that Iranian security forces carried out an operation against Baloch protesters after Friday prayers in Zahedan city of Sistan-Baluchistan province, in which 80 people including children were killed.
The armed personnel fired and shelled the civilians, resulting in hundreds of injuries. According to eyewitnesses, the death toll was much higher, with most of the people shot in the chest, head and neck.
Amnesty described it as Bloody Friday, saying it was the bloodiest day in the recent wave of protests against the government that has been ongoing for three weeks over the death of the girl Mehsa Amini in Iran.
Amnesty Secretary-General Agence Collamard said the Iranian government had grossly violated the sanctity of human life and proved it would go to any lengths to preserve its power.
He said that even three years after the protests in November 2019 in which hundreds of people died, the Iranian government is still using force mercilessly against the citizens. Amnesty International urged the United Nations to conduct an independent investigation into the serious crimes committed in Iran and to ensure that those involved are truly punished.
Iran's security forces have killed at least 82 Baluchi protesters and bystanders in Zahedan, Sistan & Baluchistan province. Those killed include 3 children. "Bloody Friday", 30 September, marked the deadliest day on record since protests began 3 weeks ago https://t.co/QWoYhpwgk0 pic.twitter.com/w3bhdpT5M3
— Amnesty Iran (@AmnestyIran) October 6, 2022
Iran’s top military leadership has given all security forces, including the police, a clear license to use force to crack down on anti-government protesters, Amnesty said.
It should be noted that protests against the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl by an Iranian police officer took place across the country, including Zahedan, after Friday prayers, on which Iranian forces fired.
