The Islamic Republic has upped the ante against the Sunni cleric of Zahedan for his harsh criticism of the brutal and non-democratic approach of the government to protests.

Tasnim News Agency, affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), called Molavi Abdolhamid the source of insecurity in Sistan and Baluchestan, telling him to ask his “dictator Saudi friends to hold a referendum.”

Molavi Abdolhamid, who called for a plebiscite in Iran during his Friday prayer sermon November 4, wrote in a statement the same day, “Unfortunately, another crime was committed in Baluchestan and this time an unfortunate incident took place in the city of Khash in which protesters were killed in cold blood.”

His statement confirmed the “martyrdom of at least 16 people” and dozens of more injuries while teenagers and young people were chanting slogans and throwing stones at governor’s office in Khash, but they were “directly targeted by live rounds.”

He further called the “bloody tragedy in Khash” as well as the “Bloody Friday in Zahedan [September 30]” as the epitome of “the extent of oppression and discrimination” that he had warned against many times in the past.

The Sunni cleric asked the seminaries of Qom and the authorities to listen to the voice of the people and to “acquiesce to nation’s request, which is the main criterion.”