Description

According to reports on October 8, 2022, in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iranian security forces fired live bullets, tear gas, and metal bullets at protesters after Friday prayers. This violent response led to the killing of dozens of protesters, including 15 children, and the injury of hundreds of others, making it one of the deadliest incidents during the protests that year. The protests initially began with the death in detention of Ms. Zhina Mahsa Amini and the accusation of rape of a 15-year-old Baluchi girl by the chief of police of a city.
Based on images reviewed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other security personnel, including plainclothes forces, have been seen shooting at protesters from rooftops. According to reports, many of the injured did not receive medical treatment due to a lack of Iranian identification documents.

Events:
Incident and crackdown: On October 8, 2022, protesters gathered in Zahedan after Friday prayers to express their anger over the death of Ms. Amini and the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl. Iranian security forces, including members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, used real bullets, tear gas, and metal bullets to disperse the crowd, killing dozens of protesters, including 15 children, and injuring hundreds.

Use of force by security forces: Video footage reviewed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and similar reporting by HRA and human rights organizations show that Iranian security forces, including plainclothes individuals, shooting at the crowd from rooftops. This indiscriminate use of force has resulted in multiple deaths and injuries, especially among vulnerable individuals such as children.

Prevention of medical treatment: Multiple reports indicate that many of the injured did not receive medical care in hospitals due to a lack of Iranian identification documents, leading to further harm and potentially increased fatalities.

Legal and human rights considerations:
Right to life: The actions of Iranian security forces resulting in the killing of dozens of unarmed individuals, including 15 children, violate the right to life

Prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment: The excessive use of force, including military-grade munitions and other tools to disperse protesters, violates the prohibition of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment

Freedom of assembly and peaceful gatherings: The violent suppression of peaceful protesters exercising their right to peaceful assembly

Non-discrimination: The denial of medical care based on a lack of Iranian identification documents violates the principle of non-discrimination as stated in Article 26 of the ICCPR and raises concerns about systematic discrimination against the Baluchi ethnic minority.

Crime against humanity:
Murder: The deliberate and systematic killing of unarmed individuals, including 15 children, during the protests, may qualify as a crime against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Torture and persecution: Placing the Baluchi community under targeted harassment and preventing access to healthcare based on ethnic or national background may be considered torture, persecution, and crimes against humanity under international law.

Other inhumane acts: The deliberate denial of medical treatment and extensive harm inflicted on the protesters can be categorized as other inhumane acts causing severe suffering and crimes against humanity.

The events of October 8, 2022, in Zahedan, have drawn significant international attention and raised serious concerns about the Iranian government's use of force against its citizens. Documented evidence of indiscriminate killings, including the death of 15 children, and denial of medical care to the injured, particularly based on discriminatory criteria, highlights the potential violations of international human rights laws and the possibility of crimes against humanity

Categories

• Suppression of Protests

Violation Types

• Right to Life
• Freedom of Assembly and Association
• Prohibition of Torture or to Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
• Right to freedom from discrimination

Possible International Crimes

• Murder as a crime against humanity
• Harassment and torture as crimes against humanity, in political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, and gender domains
• Crime against humanity through an inhumane act that has significant effects