Armored and military vehicles were deployed across Zahedan and other cities in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province on Tuesday as authorities tightened security for the third anniversary of the September 30, 2022 Bloody Friday killings, local outlet Haalvsh and residents said.

Haalvsh reported a heavy security presence from early morning, with forces stationed at key intersections to deter gatherings marking the 2022 crackdown, when security units opened fire around Zahedan’s Grand Mosalla and the Makki Mosque after Friday prayers.

Rights groups say at least 66 people were killed that day, with later tallies from Baluch activists and Iran Human Rights putting the toll at about 96–107 and more than 300 wounded.

Human Rights Watch documented unlawful lethal force in a December 22, 2022 report, and Amnesty International and other monitors have cited shots to the head, neck and torso.

A year later in 2023, protesters clashed with security forces in Zahedan on the anniversary, with rights groups reporting injuries and internet disruptions while authorities said the city was calm, Reuters reported then.

In September 2024, Iran's top Sunni cleric Mowlavi Abdolhamid publicly criticized Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei over the lack of accountability.

According to a report by the Center for Human Rights in Iran to mark the third anniversary, a trial of state perpetrators ended with light sentences for a handful of low-level officers and no punishment for senior commanders, calling it evidence of impunity and alleging families were pressured into silence.

Authorities have previously blamed “terrorists” and rioters for the 2022 bloodshed and said force was used to restore order, with provincial officials denying excessive force.