Sunni girl raped by Shia commander, Iran smolders
After the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in Iran, the protests were not over yet that another case came to the fore. On Friday, protests were held in Jehdan city against the rape of a 15-year-old Baloch girl. To stop them, the police opened fire in which 36 people are reported to have died.
Angry people are setting fire to government offices and police stations. After the Friday prayers, people of the Baloch community came out on the streets and raised slogans. After this the police opened fire.
Police Commander accused of rape
Last week, a police commander was accused of raping a 15-year-old Baloch girl. Iran’s leading Sunni cleric Maulvi Abdul Hamid confirmed the rape of this girl. The Sunni Baloch population lives in the south-eastern Sistan and Balochistan provinces of Iran.
The name of the accused commander is Colonel Ibrahim Khuchakzai. He is Shia Muslim. The victim girl is Sunni. On Friday, leaders of the Baloch community had called for a protest against the incident.
Clashes broke out between the Baloch and the police during the demonstration. According to media reports, a large part of the city of Jehdan is under the control of the protesters. During this, police stations and vehicles were set on fire.
Revolutionary Guard commander killed in attack
According to Iran’s state channel, 19 people have been killed in the fighting in Jehdan. These include the soldiers of the security forces. Here a police station was attacked by an armed group. After this the security forces retaliated.
The Revolutionary Guard Intelligence Chief of Sistan and Balochistan province was killed in the attack. The government has shut down the internet in Zahedan after protests and violence. Demonstrations have also taken place in other Baloch populated cities. There have also been reports of burning of government offices.
One september event
In Chabahar, the police commander Colonel Ibrahim Khuchakzai was investigating a case of murder. The victim is the daughter of a neighbor of the murdered woman. The commander called this girl to the office for questioning and raped her there. According to Iranian media reports, this incident is of September 1. The girl returned home and told her mother about it.
To suppress the matter, the security forces kidnapped three relatives of the victim and forced the victim’s family to make a statement that nothing happened to the girl. Pressure was also put on the victim’s family not to register a complaint. However, despite heavy pressure, the victim’s family did not drop the rape allegations.
Who are the Balochs living in Iran
Actually, Balochistan is divided between Pakistan and Iran. The western part of Balochistan is in Iran. It is called Sistan and Balochistan Province. Although the total population of Baloch is more than 8 million, but most of them live in Pakistan. The Baloch population in Iran is about 1.8 million. The Balochs living in Pakistan and Iran have been fighting for a separate nation for themselves.
The Balochs living in Iran, like their Pakistani brothers, live in very difficult conditions and are backward due to lack of facilities. In Iran, the Baloch have been demonstrating against the suppression of government forces. In February last year, ten Baloch businessmen were shot dead by Iranian security forces. This was followed by large-scale demonstrations. Sistan and Balochistan are the poorest provinces in Iran.
Women in Iran have been on the streets for 9 days. Against hijab, against religious law. It started after the death of 22-year-old girl Mehsa Amini on 16 September. Mahsa was taken into custody for not covering his head properly. The government is also putting in full force to deal with the demonstration. So far more than 50 people have died. In Kurdistan itself, 15 people were killed and about 750 were injured. More than a thousand people have been taken into custody.
