Mass Detention of Baloch residents, Including Six Minors

Hengaw; Monday, June 25, 2023
 

In the aftermath of the Friday prayer on June 23, 2023, Iranian government forces detained a minimum of 19 Baluch individuals in Zahedan, Chabahar, Iranshahr, and Rask. Additionally, one mosque official in Zahedan was arrested the following Day.

According to statistics compiled by the Hengaw organization for Human Rights, the widespread arrests of Baloch residents involved the detention of at least six minors and adolescents under 18 by security forces.
 

Among the detainees, Zahedan accounted for seven residents, while Rask and Iranshahr witnessed the arrest of six individuals each. Chabahar, on the other hand, saw the detention of one Baloch individual.
 

Detainees in Rask (six individuals)

During the public protests in Rask on Friday, June 23, 2023, a minimum of six individuals were arrested. Two clerics identified as Molavi Kamran Salamizahi and Nazir Bakhshizahi, along with two seminarians by the name Farzad Dehghani and Erfan Dahan, both 17 years old, from the religious school “Maftehal Ulum”, were among those detained.
 

Videos circulating on social media provide evidence of the violent apprehension of these two clerics and two seminarians by government forces.
 

Moreover, two children identified as Amir Alizahi, 13 years old, and Adnan Alizahi, 14 years old, were detained by government forces. They were subsequently released a few hours later due to the continuous efforts made by their families after their transfer to a secure detention center.
 

Detainees in Zahedan (six individuals)

Concurrently, in Zahedan, at least six residents, by the names Ahmad Shahouzehi (20 years old), Adnan Shahbakhsh (18 years old), Habibullah Shahouzehi (24 years old), Hadi Shahouzehi (20 years old), Saeed Shahbakhsh (21 years old), and Ahmad Naroui (19 years old), were detained by government forces after Friday prayers on their way back home.
 

It is important to note that Ahmad Naroui was temporarily released after one day in custody.
 

Detainees in Iranshahr (six individuals)

The wave of arrests of Baloch individuals following Friday prayers and public protests in Iranshahr persisted, resulting in the detention of at least six individuals. Among them were two children, namely Iraj Hashemzahi (14 years old), Esfandiar Hashemzahi (15 years old), Bahram Hashemzahi (19 years old), Yousuf Hashemzahi, Farshid (surname unknown), and Azizullah (surname unknown). Government forces employed excessive force, brutality, violence and physical assault during these arrests.
 

In Chabahar, the intelligence forces of the city detained Hafiz Baloch, who was subsequently transferred to an undisclosed location.
 

Furthermore, as part of the extensive arrests of Baloch individuals, Abdulwahid Shahlibar, a 38-year-old member of the mosque officials in Zahedan, was apprehended following a summons to the revolutionary court of Zahedan on Saturday June 24, 2023.