Molavi Abdolhamid, a spiritual leader for Iran's Sunni Muslim population, has urged the country's authorities to promptly release Molavi Fathi Mohammad Naqshbandi, the Sunni imam of Rask in the northeastern Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan.
In a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Abdolhamid said Naqshbandi's arrest, due mainly to his criticism of the authorities, may exacerbate public discontent and could have broader negative implications. He also underscored the urgency of an early release, arguing it would be in the best interest of the community.
On August 20, the judiciary of Sistan-Baluchistan Province confirmed Molavi Naqshbandi's arrest, saying he is accused of "disturbing public sentiment through misleading speeches, defamation against the Islamic republic of Iran, actions detrimental to national security, and illicit occupation of state lands."
Local news source Haalvsh, a group that monitors rights violations in Iran's Baluchistan region, highlighted that the arrest was executed "with a degree of humiliation" as it was carried out publicly in front of Naqshbandi's associates.
The arrest comes amid increasing pressure on Abdolhamid and his supporters.
People in Sistan-Baluchistan, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, have been holding protest rallies every Friday since September 2022, when a demonstration turned deadly as security forces opened fire on demonstrators, leaving at least 96 dead and another 300 injured.
The government has unleashed a brutal crackdown on the months of unrest -- one of the deepest challenges to the Islamic regime since the revolution in 1979 -- that erupted following the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody for an alleged dress code violation.
Sunni Muslims make up a majority of the population in Sistan-Baluchistan Province and Kurdistan but account for only about 10 percent of the population in Shi'a-dominated Iran overall.
Since Amini's death, more than 500 people have been killed in the police crackdown, according to rights groups. Several thousand more have been arrested, including many protesters, as well as journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others.