FBM Held Protests Across Europe Commemorating Zahedan Massacre

London, The Hague, Cologne: The Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) organised a series of significant protests across Europe on September 29 and 30, 2024, to commemorate the second anniversary of the Zahedan massacre, widely known as Bloody Friday.

This tragic event occurred on September 30, 2022, when the Iranian IRGC and other forces opened fire on peaceful protesters in Zahedan, the capital of Iranian-occupied Balochistan, resulting in the deaths of over a hundred Baloch individuals.

The protests aimed to highlight the ongoing human rights violations in Balochistan and demand international accountability.

Cologne Protest: The FBM Germany branch held a touching protest in Cologne against the Bloody Friday massacre.

Activists gathered to remember the victims, who were protesting against the sexual assault of a young Baloch girl by a senior Iranian police officer when Iran’s internationally proscribed terrorist organisation IRGC opened indiscrimination firing at them killing more than a hundred people and injuring hundreds of others.

Key speakers at the event included Ashfaq Ali, Bahzad Baloch, and Khuda Dad, who addressed the crowd with fervour. They emphasised that Balochistan possesses a unique identity and a rich cultural heritage that must be preserved.

The speakers articulated the resilience of the Baloch people, stating that regardless of whether they face Iranian oppression or Pakistani occupation, their commitment to resistance and political ideology remains steadfast. The ultimate goal, they reiterated, is the establishment of a free and united Baloch state.

The speakers called on the international community to take notice of the violence and the massacre of Baloch people, demanding that Iranian authorities be held accountable in international courts and that more severe economic sanctions be imposed against the Iranian regime for its genocidal actions in Balochistan.

London Protest: In the United Kingdom, the FBM held a protest outside the Iranian Embassy in London. Activists from London and other cities across the UK participated, holding banners and placards bearing messages condemning the Iranian government’s actions.

The chants against the genocide of Baloch people echoed through the streets as the protesters demanded justice for the victims of the Zahedan massacre.

During the protest, speakers articulated their firm stance that the massacre in Zahedan, along with atrocities in Khash and other regions, would neither be forgiven nor forgotten.

They emphasised that Iran is an occupying force in Balochistan and that Balochistan is not a part of Iran.

The demonstrators urged the international community and media to take immediate action against the Iranian state’s terrorism and highlighted the need for global awareness of the situation in Balochistan.

The Hague Protest: Simultaneously, the FBM Netherlands branch organized a protest in front of the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The participants passionately chanted slogans against the oppression and tyranny of the Iranian government. The protest aimed to draw international attention to the human rights violations faced by the Baloch people under Iranian occupation.

Speakers at the event expressed that they had gathered to honour the sacrifices of those lost in the Shuhada-e-Dozzaap massacre and to keep their cause alive.

They emphasised that the Baloch people will continue to resist the Iranian occupying state in their struggle for freedom and rights.

The FBM called on international organizations and human rights groups to raise their voices against the ongoing abuses in Balochistan and to support the Baloch people’s right to freedom.

The FBM spokesperson said these coordinated European protests are a powerful reminder of the Baloch nation’s ongoing fight for recognition, justice, human rights and freedom amid persistent oppression.

The Free Balochistan Movement continues to advocate for global awareness and action against the Iranian state’s human rights violations, urging the international community to stand in solidarity with the Baloch people.