The people of Zahedan, belonging to the Baluch minority in southeastern Iran, took to the streets once again on Friday to protest against political repression and the execution of citizens.
The people of Zahedan have been organising protests every Friday since 30 September 2022, when security forces opened fire on civilians, resulting in 96 deaths and 300 injuries.
Images shared on social media platforms depicted individuals holding placards with slogans during the 36th consecutive Friday of protests against the Islamic Republic. Among the slogans displayed, one placard read, “Negligence, Bullets, Execution, the Share of Baluch People in Iran.”
The Baluch citizens, being both an ethnic and religious minority as Sunni Muslims, have long faced persecution. Estimates suggest that the Iranian Baluch population ranges from 1.5 to 2 million people.
Alongside the Kurds, the Baluch community has been subjected to severe repression and bears the highest number of executions in the country. Although most Baluchis are executed on charges related to drug offences, activists argue that their trials lack due process, and impoverished drug mules are often executed without adequate legal representation.
Despite the repeated arrests of Baluch citizens, they have persisted in keeping their street demonstrations alive since the death of 22-year-old Jîna Mahsa Amini on 16 September 2022 after being detained by the morality police.