We emphasize the lasting social impact of violence in this region, particularly the “Zahedan Bloody Friday” massacre on September 30, 2022, and the subsequent violence a month later in Khash, where Baloch citizens faced brutality at the hands of military and security forces.

On September 30, 2022, after Friday prayers at Makki Mosque in Zahedan, worshippers peacefully protested the government’s silence regarding the assault of a 15-year-old Baloch girl by police commander Colonel Ebrahim Kouchkzai in Chabahar, as well as joining the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement that was spreading across Iran. The security and military forces, who were already on high alert with specific intentions, stationed at Police Station 16, atop tall buildings, and on the mountain near the mosque, opened fire directly at the protesters’ heads, hearts, and upper bodies, with the intent to kill. In response, some young people threw stones in self-defense. The military forces continued shooting live ammunition at men, women, the elderly, the young, and even children, both inside and outside the mosque courtyard, turning the scene into a full-scale massacre and an unprecedented crime in Balochistan’s history.

The violence of the Islamic Republic on this day, which resulted in numerous deaths, injuries, and disabilities, as well as many grieving families, has been etched into Balochistan’s history as “Bloody Friday.” According to reports from human rights organizations and independent Baloch media, based on video clips provided by eyewitnesses and civil journalists, over 100 people, including women and children, were massacred in this tragic event. Reports indicate around 500 worshippers were injured, many of whom suffered amputations, spinal injuries, or serious disabilities. At least 25 people sustained eye injuries, some losing their vision or eyes entirely. To this day, many of the wounded suffer from chronic conditions and require urgent medical care. Due to security threats, many have been unable to complete their treatment, causing their injuries to worsen.

After this event, protests intensified across Balochistan, especially in Zahedan. Despite the violent efforts of the Islamic Republic to suppress the protests, including declaring martial law in the province, setting up strict checkpoints, and the mass arrest of thousands to disperse the crowds—particularly in Zahedan—protests continued for over a year. Even religious scholars and staff at Makki Mosque were pressured, with many arrested, and some still imprisoned.

According to human rights reports, on November 4, 2022, security and military forces once again fired live bullets at protesters in Khash, massacring at least 18 demonstrators.

The Islamic Republic of Iran attempted to silence the protests by offering meager compensation to the families of the victims and the wounded but failed to divert them from seeking justice. By mid-2023, after efforts by Zahedan’s Sunni Friday prayer leader, Molavi Abdolhamid, local religious scholars, and community elders, as well as ongoing protests, a judicial case was opened to investigate the Bloody Friday massacre. However, security forces prevented independent and qualified lawyers from defending the victims, and without a transparent and fair trial, the rights of the victims and their grievances remain unaddressed to this day.

Now, two years later, the Islamic Republic’s repression in Balochistan has intensified, leading to widespread human rights violations, including:
● The continued violent suppression of protests, resulting in the deaths of at least 18 more protesters since “Bloody Friday.”
● Group assaults on detained protesting girls and women in IRGC detention centers following the Bloody Friday events in Zahedan.
● Continuous internet and communication blackouts, especially during weekly protests in Zahedan.
● Harassment and threats against social activists and charity workers who provide covert assistance to the victims and their families.

● Random assassinations, arbitrary detentions, and enforced disappearances of citizens, spreading fear throughout the region.
● Denial of basic civil and human rights to detainees and their lack of access to independent legal representation.
● Threats of assassination and abduction of Baloch human rights activists and media personnel abroad by the regime.

In addition, the aggressive approach of security and judicial authorities has led to other abuses, such as the increase in executions of Baloch prisoners for various alleged crimes and the harassment of Baloch individuals without identity documents.

Recommendations:
As active human rights and political organizations, we call on other human rights organizations, the UN Secretary-General, British authorities, and the European Union to:
● All UN member states should use universal jurisdiction and other extraterritorial authorities and mechanisms at their disposal to protect the lives and dignity of Baloch citizens and prosecute the Iranian officials responsible for crimes under international law, including crimes against humanity that occurred in Balochistan (Zahedan and Khash). Judicial proceedings should take place without procedural limitations and without the need for the accused to be physically present within the relevant jurisdiction.
● Launch a structural investigation into the overall situation related to the 2022 protests, particularly in cases where victims of violations and crimes reside in their territory.
● Ensure that individuals in your territory who are at risk of retaliation for their truth-seeking and justice-pursuing activities, especially in relation to the Bloody Friday events and other violations and crimes in Balochistan, are protected and that avenues for accountability are explored.
● National governments should issue humanitarian visas or other travel permits for those affected by the violent suppression of protests, especially during the Bloody Fridays in Zahedan and Khash, as well as for those facing persecution.
● The British authorities and the European Union should significantly condemn the ongoing repression in Balochistan, including the arbitrary detention of activists and the high rate of executions.

This statement is supported by the following organizations:

 1. Baloch Activists Campaign
 2. Rasank News
 3. Shivar News
 4. Balochistan Human Rights Group
 5. Freedom Network
 6. Kurdistan Women’s Alliance
 7. Kurdistan Women Against Gender Discrimination
 8. Hana Human Rights Organization
 9. Iranian Kurdistan Youth Organization
 10. Campaign to Defend Political and Civil Prisoners in Iran
 11. Kurdpa Human Rights Organization
 12. “All Human Rights for All in Iran” Foundation
 13. Kurdistan Human Rights Association – Geneva
 14. Global Network for Freedom of Political and Conscientious Prisoners
 15. Iranian Turk Women’s Center
 16. Bermish
 17. Chicago for Iran
 18. Organization Against Taboos and Violence Against Women
 19. Defense of Free Flow of Information (DeFFI)
 20. 6Rang (Iranian Lesbian and Transgender Network)
 21. Democratic Women’s Union of Iranian Kurdistan
 22. Committee to Fight for the Freedom of Political Prisoners
 23. Mahsa Foundation
 24. Iran Human Rights Organization
 25. Iranian Kurdistan Women’s Organization
 26. Karoun Human Rights Organization
 27. International Committee Against Executions
 28. Ahraz (Iranian Azerbaijan Human Rights Organization)
 29. Hangaw
 30. Justice Seekers of Kurdistan
 31. Center for the Defense of Human Rights

32. Council of solidarity with the struggles of the Iranian people – London
33. Comite National (Luxembourg)
34. Marburger Kollektiv zur Unterstützung der Frauen*revolution im Iran
35. Woman Life Freedom London
36. Campaign against execution in Iran-London
37. Collective femme vie libertie -Montreal Canada
38. Ahwaz Human Rights Org
39. Alliance path for Iran
40. Women’s Independence and Sustainable Equality (W.I.S.E)
41. Alliance for Freedom; Washington DC USA
42. Iranian Medical Society for Human Rights and Democracy(Berlin Med)
43. Association for the Defence of Human Rights of Azerbaijanis of Iran ArcDH
44. KURDISTAN HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORK
45. Echo Iran
46. Kurdistan Human Rights