Demonstrations in Iran: They “mutilated” the police chief in Zahedan

Iranian authorities have dismissed the police chief in the city of Zahedan as well as the commander of a police station where dozens of people have been killed in incidents during protests that have swept the country for six weeks, state news agency IRNA reported Thursday.

The deaths in Zahedan were widely criticized, particularly by a Sunni cleric who said government officials and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei were responsible “before God”.

The non-governmental organization Amnesty International said at least 66 people were killed in the incidents in Zahedan on September 30, two weeks after mass protests erupted after the death of a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman at the hands of morality police.

This is considered the deadliest episode during the crackdown on mass demonstrations.

In Zahedan (south-east), near the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, live many members of the Baloch minority (≈2 million), who complain of discrimination and repression for decades, according to human rights organizations.

The province of Sistan-Baluchistan, to which Zahedan falls, is the poorest in the Islamic Republic. For years, it was the focus of action by Baloch rebels against the security forces.

The district’s security authorities said gunmen sparked last month’s riots, which resulted in the deaths of innocent people, but admitted there were “omissions” on the part of the police, which led to police officers being relieved of their duties. They added that the families of the innocent victims will be compensated and that an investigation is being conducted to punish those who caused the violence, rioters and those police officers who committed dereliction of duty.

RES-EMP

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