The Baluch minority, estimated to number up to 2 million people, has faced discrimination and repression for decades, according to rights groups. Sistan-Baluchistan, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, is one of Iran's poorest provinces and has seen repeated killings by security forces in recent years. Zahedan saw one of the deadliest days of protests after Amini's death, with at least 66 people killed in a crackdown there on Sept. 30, Amnesty International said.
As with previous bouts of unrest, authorities appeared to have disrupted internet services on Friday.
"Confirmed: Real-time network data show a significant
disruption to internet connectivity in Zahedan, #Iran; the
incident comes amid a growing security presence during Friday
protests," NetBlocks internet monitor said.
There was no immediate word on state media of Friday's
protests. Tehran says the protests are instigated by the Islamic
Republic's foreign enemies.
Meanwhile, Iran's currency continued its slide to hit new
lows, weighed by the unrest and Tehran's increased isolation
under mounting Western sanctions. The rial plummeted to a new record low of 539,200 against
the U.S. dollar on Friday, compared to 526,500 on Thursday,
according to foreign exchange site Bonbast.com, amid reports of
new sanctions against Iran.
The U.S. Commerce Department targeted Belarus, Iran and
others in its latest response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine,
imposing export control measures and adding more targets to its
entity list. While the nationwide unrest has diminished in recent weeks,
probably because of executions and crackdowns, acts of civil
disobedience have continued from anti-government graffiti to
unveiled women appearing in public.
(Reporting by Dubai newsroom;
Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
