Hengaw’s Statement on the Second Anniversary of the Bloody Friday of Zahedan and Khash
On the second anniversary of the Bloody Friday massacre in Zahedan and Khash, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights expresses its deepest sympathies to the families of the victims, the injured, and the imprisoned while once again calls for justice and the prosecution of those responsible for this atrocity.
On September 30, 2022, the people of Zahedan and Khash took to the streets to protest the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl from Chabahar by a police commander, as well as the years of systemic discrimination and structural repression against the people of Sistan and Balochistan Iran.
These peaceful protests, which emerged within the larger context of the nationwide “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement and in response to the sexual assault on a minor, were violently suppressed by security forces through excessive militarization. Government forces opened fire on unarmed and defenseless civilians using live ammunition. As a result, dozens of people, including women and children, were killed, and hundreds more were injured. This brutal massacre, known as the “Bloody Friday of Zahedan,” stands as a clear example of a “crime against humanity.”
Hengaw believes that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s excessive use of violence and lethal weapons against unarmed protesters constitutes a grave violation of both the right to life and the right to peaceful assembly, as enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Additionally, given its widespread and systematic nature, alongside the apparent authorization of senior government officials to target a civilian population, this act qualifies as a crime against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute, requiring prosecution of the perpetrators in both domestic and international courts.
Hengaw also underscores that this tragedy not only violates the individual and human rights of the people of Zahedan and Khash but also symbolizes the systematic repression of national, ethnic, and religious minorities in Iran. The Baloch people, long subjected to discrimination, poverty, and deprivation, were once again violently targeted by the state. This repression is part of a broader, systemic pattern of oppression that has persisted for decades against marginalized national, ethnic, and religious minorities in Iran.
The “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, which began in response to the murder of Jina Amini in September 2022, has evolved into a national and global movement against discrimination and repression in all sectors of Iranian society. By emphasizing the rights of women, the LGBTQ+ community, national, ethnic, and religious minorities, and other marginalized groups, this movement represents a critical turning point in the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom.
Hengaw calls upon the international community, human rights organizations, and the United Nations to take urgent and practical steps to achieve justice and prosecute those responsible for these crimes. Failure to hold the perpetrators accountable would be a violation of international human rights obligations. The global community must ensure that the Islamic Republic of Iran is brought to trial for its criminal actions against its people, particularly against national, ethnic and religious minorities.
Hengaw stresses that the events of the Bloody Friday of Zahedan and Khash are not isolated incidents but are part of a broader struggle against structural repression, national, ethnic, and religious discrimination, and widespread human rights violations in Iran. We emphasize the importance of solidarity among the people of Iran, from Kurdistan to Balochistan, and assert that only through unity and collective struggle, grounded in human rights principles, can a just and free future be achieved for Iran and the world—one where no individual is oppressed or discriminated against based on gender, sexual orientation, national, ethnic, or religious identity, atheism, or political beliefs.
