Residents of Iranshahr Protest Police Beating of Baloch Citizen

Following the beating of a Baloch citizen in Iranshahr by police officers, residents of the city held a protest gathering.

According to reports published on social media, on Wednesday, June 19, police officers in Iranshahr stopped a vehicle near the 22 Bahman roundabout in the city. When they discovered the driver did not have a driver’s license with him, they became involved in a confrontation, prompting residents to organize a protest gathering.

According to eyewitnesses, police officers demanded 300,000 tomans in cash from the driver as a bribe. When the driver refused to pay the money, the officers beat him, which prompted the gathering of residents.

According to available reports, as the crowd gathered, riot control forces arrived at the scene. According to eyewitnesses, they fired warning shots to disperse the crowd and beat the protesting residents.

This is not the first time residents of Sistan and Baluchestan Province have protested against police conduct.

In early June of this year, a group of residents in Zahedan gathered in front of the city’s governorate office in protest of the death of a young man from “police gunfire” and demanded police explanation regarding the incident. However, officers arrested at least 30 of the protesters.

Source: Voice of America