| 2022 Khash massacre | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofMahsa Amini protests | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Iranian security forces | Protestors of Baloch | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 0 killed, 0 injured | 18 killed, 20+ injured | ||||||
TheKhash massacre,[1][2][3][4] also known asKhash Bloody Friday[5][6] (Persian:جمعه خونین خاش,romanized: Jom'e-ye Xunin Xaš )(Balochi:واشءِ ھۏنݔن آدݔنَگ) refers to the clashes between the protestingpeople of Khash and thepolice forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran[7][8] on 4 November 2022, which started with slogans and gathering in the streets and throwing stones in front of the governorate of Khash, and then they were directly targeted by security forces' war bullets and led to many casualties.[8][9][10][11]
Amnesty International reported that the death toll was 18 and that security forces used "lethal war bullets" in suppressing the people.[6]
The clashes were in response to the alleged rape of a 15-year-old Baloch girl in June by Colonel Ebrahim Kuchakzai,[12] the commander of the Chabahar police force, and theZahedan massacre on 30 September, which left 96 dead and 300 injured, fueling the anger of the people of Khash.[13][14]
The main cause and background of the alleged prior incidence of rape by Colonel Ebrahim Kouchakzai inChabahar during an interview with a 15-year-old girl because of the incidence of a murder case in a nearby house.[6][15][8] The colonel told the girl he had to "inspect her body" and then proceeded to molest and rape the girl, who later informed her mother of this, causing much anger.[6][8]
These clashes occurred after the30 September incident, and theZahedan massacre intensified protests inKhash.[8][9]
The protests in Khash started after the Friday prayer ceremony on 4 November 2022, and the protesters in this city gathered in the streets and chanted slogans against the Islamic Republic.[16] They started throwing stones into the governor's office, which were directly targeted by war bullets.[9]Iranian government officials, including Governor Khashsahebgol Salehi, stated that the protesters intended to seize the governor's building with armed attacks and the agricultural jihad office of this city was completely burned down, and the protesters of several banks, bank tellers, They also set fire to the chain store and police kiosk.[11][17][18] According to him, 12 vehicles were burned in the city of Khash.[11][18]
Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi, the Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, announced in a statement that at least 16 people were killed and dozens more were injured in the incident.[9][19]Ismaeelzahi called the statements of the Islamic Republic officials about the "armed attack by the people of Khash on the governor's building" "a complete lie."[9][19]Amnesty International reported that the death toll was 18 and that security forces used "lethal war bullets" in suppressing the people.[6]
Moinuddin Saeedi, a representative ofChabahar in the11th term of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, addressed the killing of thepeople of Balochistan in a statement in the open court of the parliament, saying that no official has apologized for these incidents so far, and asked why the way protesters were treated in this province was different, and thatplastic bullets were used in other parts of the country, but liveammunition was used inBalochistan. His speech was interrupted and left unfinished.[20]
3 February: According to social media reports, the gathering of Baloch worshippers and protesters continued despite the security situation inZahedan andKhash.[22]
3 February: According to social media reports, the gathering ofBaloch worshippers and protesters continued despite the security situation inZahedan andKhash.[23]
Khash in a state of war; Shooting at protesters and attacking the governor's building with stones
