Balochistan: Baloch doctor killed in Police custody

DOAZZAP (ZAHEDAN) A 24-year-old Baloch protester died in police custody in the city of  Dozzaap (Zahedan) after being severely beaten by officers, human rights activists say.

Haalvsh, a group that monitors rights violations of Baloch people by Iranian authorities in Iranian Occupied Balochistan, said on February 23 that Ebrahim Rigi’s body is to remain in the forensics department of Zahedan until an autopsy is performed.

Police are reportedly threatening the family to remain silent.

Rigi, a medical doctor, was first arrested on October 13, 2022, in connection with protests that sparked after the rape of 15-year-old girl Maho Baloch and the Zahedan Massacre of peaceful protesters.

He was later charged with “waging war against God” and “corruption on Earth,” which can carry death sentences. 

He was released on bail on January 1 and re-arrested on February 22 at Karimpur Street. He was taken to Police Station No.12. where he was beaten to death.

Baloch people have been holding protest rallies every Friday since September 30, when security forces killed nearly 100 people in the deadliest incident so far in five months of the new wave of demonstrations triggered by the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Zhina Amini, in the custody of Tehran’s morality police.

Kurdish political activists have refused to use the name ‘Mahsa Amini’ saying that it was her ‘colonial name’ imposed on her by Iran and that her Kurdish name Zhina Amini was not accepted.

The group said that the judge of the special branch for murder investigation Mr. Jahantigh and the forensic pathologist confirm that Ibrahim died as a result of the beating that took place inside the 12 police station.

In this regard, police station 12 has announced that every assault that took place was outside the police station and not inside the police station, but the forensic doctor confirmed that the assault was recent and occurred in the early hours after being transferred to the police station.

On the other hand, the police officers of the 12th police station and Zahedan police are trying to stop the family from pursuing the case.

Amnesty Iran in a statement has termed the death of Ebrahim Rigi a ‘horrific’ assault on the right to life by the Iranian authorities.