Brave Baluchis in the restive city of Zahedan, the provincial capital of Sistan & Baluchestan in southeast Iran, took to streets again on Friday in new anti-regime protests and rejection of any kind of dictatorship in their country. These protests took place despite the regime’s extensive security measures on Thursday and internet restrictions. These rallies are continuing the Iranian people’s uprising against the mullahs’ tyranny as people from all walks of life take to streets across the country to voice their opposition to the regime.
People throughout Iran continue to specifically hold the mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responsible for their miseries, while also condemning the oppressive the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and paramilitary Basij units, alongside other security units that are on the ground suppressing the peaceful demonstrators.
Protests in Iran have to this day expanded to at least 282 cities. Over 750 people have been killed and more than 30,000 are arrested by the regime’s forces, according to sources of Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The names of 675 killed protesters have been published by the PMOI/MEK.
#IranProtests at a Glance on Thursday, June 15, 2023 pic.twitter.com/DCmZxm8iXD
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 16, 2023
Early reports on Friday indicate that the regime has sent large contingents of forces to the cities of Sistan and Baluchestan to prevent protests from taking place after the weekly Friday prayers. Other reports pertain that the regime has deployed repressive forces at a police station near the Great Makki Mosque in Zahedan, where people gather for Friday prayers every week and hold their protest rallies afterwards.
Activists also report that internet access became severely disrupted in Zahedan at around 10:00 am local time.
Videos from Zahedan also show that as Friday prayers were being held, the regime flew helicopters over the city in anticipation of protests.
June 16 – Zahedan, Southeast #Iran
As Friday prayers are being held, regime authorities have deployed choppers in anticipation of protests.#IranProtests2023 pic.twitter.com/mlD4bMIRnk— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 16, 2023
However, these measures did not prevent the people of Zahedan to hold their weekly protest rallies after the Friday prayers. Protesters held chanted slogans against the regime and held placards that condemned the regime’s brutal response to protests.
One placard read, “Evin [Prison] has become university, the universities have become prisons,” referring to the repression of students across the country.
Another condemned the regime’s discrimination against the Baluch people and read, “The Baluch people deserve respect, not repression and execution.”
June 16 – Zahedan, Southeast #Iran
Protesters chanting, "I will kill those who killed my brother!"#IranProtests2023 pic.twitter.com/0VAgjsq6IQ— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 16, 2023
Protesters chanted slogans including:
“I will kill those who killed my brother!”
“My martyred brother, I will avenge your blood!”
“We will fight! We will die! We will take back Iran!”
“Kurds, Baluch, Azeris, freedom and equality!”
“Political prisoners must be freed!”
“Iranians! Unity, revolution, freedom!”
June 16 – Zahedan, Southeast #Iran
Protesters chanting, "My martyred brother, I will avenge your blood!" #IranProtests2023 pic.twitter.com/OqhWI8JhWT— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 16, 2023
Friday also marked the birthday of Majidreza Rahnavard, a youth who was executed by the regime in December for taking part in the nationwide protests. Rahnavard was hanged after being subjected to severe torture and forced to make incriminating confessions.
People in different cities commemorated Majidreza. In Tehran, protesters hung a banner that read, “We will remove all nooses from Iran.”
In Mashhad, Majidreza’s hometown, the regime resorted to extreme security measures to prevent protests from taking shape on Majidreza’s birthday. Security forces were deployed to block roads that lead to Behesht-e Reza, the cemetery where Majidreza is buried to prevent any form of assembly or protest.
June 16 – Tehran, #Iran
Protesters hang banner that reads, "We will remove all nooses from Iran."
Today is the birthday of #MajidrezaRahnavard, a youth hanged by the mullahs' regime in December for taking part in nationwide protests.#IranProtests2023 https://t.co/aU5R89VgFd— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 16, 2023
Coal miners in the town of Hojadk in Kerman Province, south-central Iran, rallied outside the Kerman Coal Mines Company on Thursday protesting their poor work and living conditions. Regime officials have refused to provide any responses regarding their paychecks and pensions.
June 15 – Hojadk, Kerman Province, south-central #Iran
Coal miners rallied outside the Kerman Coal Mines Company protesting their poor work and living conditions.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/nHoUGxI5ZL— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 15, 2023
On Thursday, regime authorities dispatched anti-riot units to Zahedan from neighboring cities and provinces. At least 50 military vehicles and seven busses transferring different units were seen on a road from Kerman in south-central Iran to Zahedan, according to local activists. During the past two days activists say a large number of military and security units have been dispatched to Zahedan and the Sistan & Baluchestan Province in general from neighboring provinces.
June 15 – Kerman/Zahedan road, southeast #Iran
Local says authorities are dispatching anti-riot units to Zahedan, the provincial capital of Sistan & Baluchestan. He says five or six busses were seen ahead of this convoy.
This is prior to the weekly Friday rallies in Zahedan. pic.twitter.com/8UVZHPciTS— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 15, 2023
The protests in Iran began following the death of Mahsa Amini. Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-year-old woman from the city of Saqqez in Kurdistan Province, western Iran, who traveled to Tehran with her family, was arrested on Tuesday, September 13, at the entry of Haqqani Highway by the regime’s so-called “Guidance Patrol” and transferred to the “Moral Security” agency.
She was brutally beaten by the morality police and died of her wounds in a Tehran hospital on September 16. The event triggered protests that quickly spread across Iran and rekindled the people’s desire to overthrow the regime.
