On September 22, 2023, in Zahedan, the resilient Baluch community resumed their protest rallies after the Friday prayers. Their voices echoed with slogans denouncing the Iranian regime and its leader, Ali Khamenei. These protests unfolded against a backdrop of extreme measures taken by the regime to quell any form of dissent, coinciding with the anniversary of the 2022 uprising.
According to the regime’s own media, security forces apprehended hundreds of individuals in recent days. Sistan and Baluchestan witnessed an overwhelming presence of security forces, reminiscent of the infamous “bloody Friday of Zahedan” on September 30, when security forces opened fire on peaceful demonstrators, claiming the lives of more than 100 civilians, including several children.
On this Friday, September 22, 2023, the protesters carried placards as a solemn tribute to the victims of that tragic day. They fervently chanted the resolute slogan, “I will avenge those who took my brother!” underscoring their refusal to forgive the regime for its atrocities.
In Zahedan, demonstrators also voiced their strong opposition to regime leaders, with Khamenei as a primary target. At one point, they collectively cried, “Down with Khamenei!” Their anger extended to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and the Basij, the two principal institutions responsible for suppressing dissidents, with protesters drawing stark comparisons between these forces and ISIS.
The demonstrators also called for the release of political prisoners languishing in the regime’s prisons, an urgent plea for justice in the face of oppression.
To stifle protests and even the commemoration of the martyrs of the 2022 uprising, the regime escalated its measures. Social media videos revealed a heavy presence of security forces at cemeteries and roads leading to them, creating an environment of fear to dissuade people from attending memorial ceremonies honoring those who lost their lives at the hands of security forces.
In a distressing incident on Thursday, September 21, security forces in Qazvin raided the home of Javad Heydari, one of the martyrs of the uprising, on the anniversary of his tragic death. Videos shared on social media by Javad’s sister depicted a harrowing scene as security forces resorted to violence, using firearms, throwing rocks, and deploying tear gas canisters at the Heydari residence. In the chaos, children and the elderly suffered harm, and Javad’s mother required hospitalization due to her critical condition.
Javad Heydari had been fatally shot by security forces on September 22, 2022, in Qazvin. His father had expressed the heart-wrenching details, stating, “Security forces fired upon my son from a rooftop, shooting him from behind. I implore the people of Iran to stand by the afflicted families to ensure their rights are not trampled upon.”
