Kolbar Jian Ali-Pour Shot Dead by Regime Military Forces at Border Areas of Sardasht County

On Thursday, October 14, a kolbar was killed by the direct shooting of military forces in border areas near Sardasht.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, on Thursday, the man has been identified as Jian Ali-Pour, a resident of a village in County Sardasht. He was married with two children. According to this report, the military forces shot him dead without any warning beforehand.

Many poor people living in border areas turn to this illegal work and carry loads on foot through borders to make ends meet. Yearly, dozens of kolbars are injured and killed from accidents, dangerous conditions, and border guard shootings.

HRANA’s annual human rights report has specifically documented cases in which military forces’ use of live ammunition against citizens has led to their injury or death.

According to the 2020 report, other than material damages like loss of pack animals due to road accidents, frost, or avalanche, 36 cross-border laborers (kolbars) have been shot dead, and 109 have been injured by military forces and border guards.

 

Kermanshah province: Civilian Shot and Killed by Law Enforcement in Dalahu

A civilian was shot dead by law enforcement forces in Dalahu. According HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kordpa, Sohbat Samadi Nasab died in Taleghani hospital on May 4, 2021 from injuries sustained from the firing.

According to the report,  the military forces shot Mr. Samadi Nasab directly on suspicion of “carrying contraband “, without any prior notice, on April 26, 2021. He was transferred to Taleghani hospital in Kermanshah for treatment and died the following week.

Military and security forces have a long history of shooting citizens without evidence, often fatally. Article 7 of the Law on the Use of Firearms by Officials at necessary cases states: “officers subject to this law, when using a firearm, should target the leg, as much as possible and be vigilant their actions will not cause death and assure to not harm third parties who are not involved in the incident.”

The note to this article also states that “the care for the injured is the responsibility of law enforcement officers and injured must be taken to medical centers as fast as possible”.

5-year-old Child Killed by Military Gunfire in Iranshahr

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rasanak, on Monday, May 10, 2021, a 5-year-old child was killed by military forces’ gunfire in the city of Iranshahr.

Drug Control Force officers were reportedly chasing smugglers in a similar-looking vehicle, and mistakenly opened fire on the car in which the child sat. 

According to the report, a group of citizens protested this incident later on the same day in Iranshahr. 

Security forces were present at this protest and before long, tensions escalated and violence broke out. 

The report states that the security forces opened fire into the crowd of protesters. Whether there were casualties of this subsequent incident of military violence is currently unknown.

 

Sistan and Baluchestan Province: Three Civilians Killed in Military Shooting on Khash Road

Three Iranian citizens lost their lives as a result of military forces’ reckless firing in the Pigol area, close to Khash city, on May 2, 2021.

According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), quoting the Baluch Activists Campaign, on Sunday, May 2, 2021, military forces’ reckless shooting killed three citizens on the Khash road, 30 km out of the Pigol area. The three killed have been identified as 45 year-old Hamid Gomshadzehi, 20-year-old Nazir Gomshadzehi, and 20-year-old Osman Gomshadzehi.
This is by no means the first incident of police brutality from Iranian military and security forces. Despite a clause in Article 7 of the Law on the Use of Firearms by Officials at necessary cases, which states that officers “should target the leg, as much as possible, and be vigilant that their actions do not cause death and/or harm third parties who are not involved in the incident”, there stands a long history of officers fatally shooting civilians.
According to the report,  the three men were pulled over in their pickup truck on suspicion of carrying drugs, and killed shortly thereafter. The indiscriminate firing was carried out by drug agents without a stop order.