On Friday, February 24, the 162nd day of the nationwide uprising, the brave people of Zahedan for the 21st week after the bloody Friday of Zahedan staged demonstrations after Friday prayers.

Protests took place despite the imposition of unannounced martial law and the deployment of snipers, the siege of Makki Mosque, and widespread arrests. They were chanting: “Death to the clerical rule of aggression and crimes”, “I pledge to the blood our comrades, we will stand until the end”, “Basiji, IRGC Sepahi, are the same as ISIS” and “I will kill whoever killed my brother”.

The demonstrators carried placards that read, “Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the Leader (Khamenei)”, “Neither monarchy nor leadership (Khamenei)”, “We are a nation that has not bowed down to any dictator” and “They thought they have killed Mahsa, Nika, and Khodanour, unaware that they were the seeds of the revolution.”

Suppressive forces with heavy weaponry and using snipers were stationed in the heights around the Makki Mosque, and plainclothes forces of the IRGC tried to enter the Makki Mosque from the roof, but they were obstructed by the mosque’s protection guards. Since Wednesday, motorcycle riders from the State Security Force (SSF) had been dispatched to Zahedan from nearby cities. The regime completely cut off Zahedan’s internet to prevent reporting. In the city of Khash, suppressive forces were stationed around Al-Khalil Mosque, the place of Friday prayers, to prevent demonstrations, but their repressive measures failed against the will of the people of Zahedan.

On Wednesday evening, people chanted “Death to Khamenei” and “Shame on our leader (Khamenei)” in the Tehran subway. In various parts of Tehran, including Qasr al-Dasht, Punak, and Amirabad, the slogans “Death to the principle of the absolute rule of clergy”, “Death to the bloodthirsty Khamenei ” and “Poverty, corruption, high prices, we will march to overthrow” echoed from the buildings. Young people in Sanandaj, western Iran, staged protests by burning tires in the street, and in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, they staged nightly demonstrations with the slogan “we didn’t make sacrifices to compromise or praise the murderous leader (Khamenei)”.

On February 22, the suppressive agents of the SSF killed Ebrahim Rigi, 24, a Bauchi physician, under torture. Rigi was arrested on October 13, for treating the wounded of the uprising and was released on bail on January 1, but on February 21, he was re-arrested and beaten up in the district 12 police station, which led to his death. Forensic medical examiners confirmed, upon observing the injuries, that Ibrahim was killed as a result of being beaten and wounded inside the police station.

MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI  (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTub