Balochistan: Father stages sit-in protest in Mosque for son’s release

ZAHEDAN: A Baluch father has staged a sit-in since protest on July 16 at the central Masjid (mosque) in Pahra [renamed as Iranshahr by Iranian authorities], as the whereabouts of his son arrested over protesting mass rape of 41 women has remained unknown for nearly one month, Baluch Activists Campaign reported on Monday.

In a video clip circulated on social media, Ghulam Qadir Bozorgzadeh expressed despair about his son’s situation, declaring that he is resuming his sit-in, demanding the authorities to reveal the location of his son, Abdullah Bozorgzadeh. He explained how the IRGC agents arrested him on July 11 after he stood in protest outside the headquarters of the Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iranshahr, Baluchistan. The agents forced him to commit in writing not to continue his protest in that place.

Mohammad Tayeb, the younger son of Mr Bozorgzadeh was summoned on the same day to FATA police for publishing news of his elder brother’s arrest. The 16-year-old boy was interrogated and warned against speaking to the media.

According to the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) citing a source who requested anonymity for security reasons, “Twenty days after Abdullah Bozorgzadeh was arrested, and after his father stood in protest outside the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC] in Iranshahr, Abdullah called his mother at 1 a.m. last night [July 8] and with a trembling voice said that he was feeling well but did not say who detained him or where he is being held.”

“He insisted that the family should not talk to the media and hung up,” added the source. “His call and his trembling voice made the family even more worried.”
In the business of selling herbal medicines in Iranshahr, the detainee Abdullah Bozorgzadeh is married and has one child.

In June 2018, the news of gang rapes of 41 young women and girls in Iranshahr shocked and outraged the Iranian society.

Iranshahr with a population of 150,000 is located in Sistan-and-Baluchistan Province, in southeastern Iran. Most of the residents of the city are Sunnis.

The regime’s General Prosecutor has cast doubts on the news, announcing that they are going to prosecute the whistleblower, namely the city’s Friday prayer leader who publicized the news of the gang rapes of 41 young women and girls in Iranshahr. Other judiciary officials have also tried to sweep the entire dossier under the rug.

A group of locals rallied outside their governor’s office on June 17, demanding the arrest and punishment of those who gang-raped 41 women and girls in this city. Reports indicate the perpetrators of this repulsive crime enjoyed support from state-associated security forces. The protesters were instead attacked and at least seven individuals were arrested.

The families of the victims told Iranshahr’s Friday prayer leader that they do not trust the State Security Force to pursue the case because “the assailants are tied to the (paramilitary) Bassij.”

The arrested protesters include, Abdullah Bozorgzadeh Sarbazi, Yaser Shahnavazi, Parisa Shahnavazi, and 19, Abdul-Hakim Mazarzehi, Mohammad Amin Gargij, Mohammad R, and Morteza S. The detainees are mostly teenagers and their Instagram pages were blocked by Iranian authorities.

On Tuesday, June 19, 2018, a group of Iranshahr’s women gathered again outside the Governor’s Office. The women who were infuriated by the gang rapes of 41 young women and girls in Iranshahr, held small placards which read, “Victims of rape are not instruments to be sacrificed for special interests,” “women are not commodities to lose their value because of rape,” and “No to all forms of violence.”

Also, on Monday evening, June 18, 2018, a group of young women and girls walked through the crowded Vali-e Asr district in Tehran holding up placards which read, “Daughters of Iranshahr, let’s break the silence,” “Speaking of rape is not a disgrace,” and “rape victims must not remain silent.”

The issue reached the desk of the regime’s so-called attorney general, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, who turned the table on June 18 and in remarks to the semi-official Tasnim news agency said: “The individual who has forged this report and published it must prove this claim. Based on the report issued by local and provincial judiciary officials of Sistan and Baluchistan that I have reviewed, the subject as raised is completely rejected.”

Courtesy: Iran-hrm.com