While not much time has passed since the execution of Abdulmalek Rigi, the head of the Jondollah group in Iran’s Baluchistan province, the prosecutor in the southern city of Zahedan announced last week that death sentences had been issued for two more suspects in last year’s explosions in Baluchistan and the same is being considered for six other suspects. Following this announcement, the Association of Human Rights Activists in Baluchistan released a statement to seek help from all human rights organizations to stop this. The statement notes that the frequency of issuing death sentences “has increased greatly around the anniversary of the 2009 election protests, exceeding ten cases.” In an exclusive interview with Rooz, Baluchi activist Abdulsattar Doshoki explains that “particularly in the last five years and since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power, the Islamic republic’s policy has been to create divisions among Shiites and Sunnis, and Baluchis vs non-Baluchis.” He also believes that “the regime has no option but to resort to violence.”
The excerpts of the interview follow.
Rooz: You have spoken out against the death sentences that have been issued for ten Jondollah members. What kind of an organization is Jondollah, and why must its members be sentenced to death?
Abdolsattar Doshoki (Doshoki): Jondollah is an armed group that, in its own words, is involved in an armed struggle to resurrect the rights of the Baluchi people in Iran’s province of Sistan and Baluchistan and the Sunni people all over the country. Their method of resistance is based on violence. But, as I explained in a recent article, Jondollah is the product of an environment that is produced by the Islamic republic and is based on injustice, poverty and discrimination in Baluchistan. Jondollah was born in an environment defined by injustice and discrimination and dominated by the Islamic Republic’s security and intelligence apparatus. The Islamic republic has preferred to respond to violence with violence. Unfortunately, and especially in the last five years and after the coming to power of Mr. Ahmadinejad, the Islamic republic’s policy has been to create division among Shiites and Sunnis, and among Baluchis and non-Baluchis. In recent years, this vicious circle of violence has been perpetuated on one side by Jondollah and on the other by the Islamic republic, with victims claimed on either side.
Rooz: Recently the Association of Human Rights Activists in Baluchistan announced that death verdicts are being issued more frequently around the anniversary of the election protests. What is the relationship between executions in Baluchistan and election protests?
Doshoki: In my opinion, the green movement is the most formidable popular challenge facing the Islamic republic. The Islamic regime is forced to resort to violence to confront this huge challenge. Although the Islamic republic is more ruthless in its treatment of Baluchi youth and activists, its acts of violence are not limited to Baluchistan but are evident across Iran. The reason for that is the Islamic republic’s vulnerability to a popular uprising. The regime has no option but to resort to violence against this uprising. That’s why we see the Islamic republic is using executions more blatantly around the anniversary of the green movement’s uprising.
