Activists Say Internet Shutdowns in Baluchistan Must Stop

Dozens of human rights groups and activists have condemned the frequent internet outages imposed by the Iranian authorities on the south-eastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, saying the restrictions “not only violate freedom of expression but also serve to cover up human rights violations.” 

"For more than three months, the people of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province, particularly its capital city of Zahdan, have been enduring internet shutdowns every Friday, coinciding with Friday prayers and protests held at the same time," 23 organizations and four human rights activists, along with Keep It On, a global coalition of human rights groups working to end internet shutdowns, said in a statement.

"This ongoing disruption to the internet has resulted in significant challenges for the local community, who heavily rely on online communication for their daily activities," they added.

Zahedan residents have been holding protest rallies every Friday since September 30, 2022, when security forces killed nearly 100 people, in the deadliest incident in the nationwide demonstrations triggered by the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody.

The statement pointed out that the Iranian government has “a well-documented record of using internet shutdowns to silence dissent and crackdown on protests across the country.”

It called on the International Telecommunication Union to pressure Iran to stop disrupting internet services in the region. 

The signatories, which include human rights organizations that monitor rights violations in Sistan and Baluchistan, also called for “greater scrutiny of the Iranian government’s human rights abuses, including efforts to silence its citizens.”