Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jun. 09 – The Prosecutor of Zahedan, south-eastern Iran, announced that 58 Iranians and 30 Afghans were arrested during the recent unrest in the city.
Iran Focus
Tehran, Iran, Jun. 09 – The Prosecutor of Zahedan, south-eastern Iran, announced that 58 Iranians and 30 Afghans were arrested during the recent unrest in the city.
"58 Iranians were arrested after the recent clashes in Zahedan on charges of participating in the rebellion, setting fire [to government buildings], and destruction", Mohammad Marzieh said. His remarks were carried on Sunday in the state-run news agency ISNA.
"Regarding the fire and the deaths of six members of the Reza Treasury, three people have been arrested and if proven guilty, they will be charged with waging war with god", he added.
Separately, Iran Focus has learnt that one of those injured in the recent unrest in Zahedan has passed away. Abdolbasir Musa Zehi, a Zahedan resident injured during the violence, died on 5 June in Zahedan's central hospital.
There have also been reports that some of the jailed protestors were tortured in prison.
Zahedan is the provincial capital of Sistan-va-Baluchistan which is home to Baluchis, a predominantly Sunni Muslim ethnic minority.
Iran has witnessed escalating unrest since 2006 in areas populated by Baluchis, who complain of discriminatory and repressive policies by the theocratic regime.
Since 2006, Iranian authorities have stepped up executions in the restive province in what many Baluchis believe is a response to a spate of attacks by dissidents on government and security officials.
Iranian authorities routinely execute dissidents on bogus charges such as armed robbery and drug trafficking.