Balochistan: 10-Year Sentences for Accused in Zahedan Massacre, Amid Allegations of Pressure on Victims’ Families
DOZZAAP (ZAHEDAN): Iranian authorities have reportedly sentenced several security personnel to a maximum of 10 years in prison in connection with the Zahedan Bloody Friday massacre.
The verdicts, however, have sparked widespread criticism and allegations of injustice, particularly from the families of victims, who say the state is whitewashing the crime and silencing dissent.
The announcement was made by Ali Mohebbi Rad, Chief Justice of Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iranian Occupied Balochistan. According to Rad the judiciary completed its investigation into the deadly crackdown and identified the victims as “martyrs,” with compensation (diyeh) paid to their families.
But survivors and relatives of the deceased say the official narrative is misleading. They explained that only those families who agreed to “settle” with the authorities and avoid public demands for justice have received any recognition or compensation. Those who refused to sign off or accept the government’s version of events have seen their cases closed and their loved ones’ deaths unacknowledged.
“My brother was injured on Bloody Friday. They opened a case, interrogated us, and sent the file to the Martyrs Foundation,” said one family member, speaking to the Baloch Activists Campaign. “After a year of chasing them, they told us: ‘No blood money, no support. Maybe someday you’ll get a 50-square-meter piece of land outside the city.’ It’s a lie.”
The Baloch Activists Campaign also previously reported that around 200 families of those killed or wounded during the massacre had their claims rejected, with some facing threats of losing their national IDs or even deportation.
The judiciary’s selective acknowledgment of victims has further angered the Baloch community, particularly as no official statement has been made regarding the Khash Bloody Friday massacre of November 2022, in which additional Baloch protesters were killed during a similar crackdown.
Earlier this year, Morteza Jahantigh, a military prosecutor, announced that no legal action would be taken against the security forces involved in the Khash killings, framing their actions as “legitimate defence.” Authorities claimed the use of live ammunition was justified due to a fatwa by the Sunni Friday Imam of Khash and the alleged threat posed by protesters.
However, eyewitness reports and video evidence from both Zahedan and Khash paint a different picture, of unarmed demonstrators being shot at directly by military and security forces.
Both massacres resulted in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Baloch citizens, making them among the deadliest crackdowns on civilians in the Islamic Republic in recent years.
Despite the official verdicts, victims’ families and human rights groups continue to demand independent investigations, accountability, and justice for those killed.
