Thursday, September 23, 2026 - Four independent UN experts are calling on Iranian authorities to immediately end the use of lethal force against Kurdish kolbars and Baloch sukhtbars, warning that people carrying goods and fuel across Iran’s border regions are being exposed to deadly violence.
In a statement issued on September 23, the experts called for independent investigations into every death linked to security forces. At least 12 kolbars have reportedly been shot dead by Iranian border forces or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since the start of 2026.
The UN experts said seven kolbars had reportedly been killed by direct gunfire from Iranian border guards during the previous two months, including cases in which the victims were allegedly carrying no goods.
They also highlighted the deaths of Baloch sukhtbars, with at least 13 fuel carriers reportedly killed between January and August in shootings, pursuits and other actions involving military and security forces. The experts stressed that even suspected customs violations do not justify the use of firearms where there is no threat to life.
The statement has put renewed international attention on the risks facing economically marginalised communities living along Iran’s borders. The UN experts said Iranian authorities do not publish official statistics on deaths among kolbars and sukhtbars, leaving families and civil society groups to document the casualties.
They are demanding prompt, independent and impartial investigations, while calling for accountability, reparations and safer economic opportunities for communities whose livelihoods currently expose them to the danger of border violence.
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