Iranian security forces killed at least 96 protesters in Zahedan on 30 September 2022, one of the deadliest single incidents of the nationwide uprising.
Key Facts
- Protesters killed
- At least 96
- Injured
- At least 300
- Date
- 30 September 2022
- Key trigger
- Alleged rape of 15-year-old Baloch girl by police commander
- Secondary trigger
- Death of Mahsa Amini on 16 September 2022
- Attack site
- Jameh Mosque of Makki and nearby police station
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The massacre was precipitated by two overlapping grievances: the alleged rape of a 15-year-old Baloch girl in June 2022 by Colonel Ebrahim Kouchakzai, commander of the Chabahar police, and the 16 September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran's Guidance Patrol, which had already ignited nationwide protests.
On 30 September 2022, protesters gathered and chanted in front of a police station near Zahedan's Great Mosalla. Iranian security forces opened fire on the crowd and then turned their weapons on worshipers attending Friday Prayers at the Jameh Mosque of Makki, triggering street clashes that left at least 96 dead and 300 wounded.
The killings, widely condemned internationally and dubbed 'Bloody Friday,' intensified domestic and global outrage over Iran's suppression of dissent. Schools in Zahedan and Nosratabad were temporarily closed due to security concerns, and the event deepened the crisis of legitimacy facing the Iranian government during the broader 2022 uprising.
Political Outcome
At least 96 protesters and worshipers killed and 300 injured by security forces; no accountability for perpetrators reported; protests intensified nationally