Poverty in the Line of Fire: UN Experts Demand Iran End Border Courier Killings

At least 12 kolbars have reportedly been shot dead by Iranian border forces or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since the beginning of 2026.

Carrying goods or fuel across Iran's border areas is one of the few ways some families can earn a living, leaving economically marginalised workers exposed to dangers that UN experts say should never include being shot by security forces. The experts have called on Iranian authorities to stop using lethal force against Kurdish border couriers and Baloch fuel carriers, describing the measures as unlawful and demanding independent investigations into every death caused by security personnel.

Known as kolbars among Kurdish communities and sukhtbars among Baloch communities, these workers often have few other opportunities to support their households. The experts placed that hardship at the centre of their appeal, stressing that poverty cannot justify exposing people to lethal violence and that suspected customs offences do not, by themselves, present a threat to life.

Couriers Reportedly Shot Without Warning

At least 12 kolbars have reportedly been shot dead by Iranian border forces or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since the beginning of 2026. Reports received by the experts over the past two months described seven kolbars killed by direct gunfire from Iranian border guards, allegedly at close range and without warning, with several reportedly carrying no goods when they were shot.

One of those named was Madeh Kermani, 44, who left his home in Marivan on 28 July and never returned. He was reportedly carrying nothing when he was shot, and his body was removed from the area. Authorities told his family that he had died after falling from the border heights, an account the experts said was contradicted by forensic records showing a gunshot wound to the head.

Milad Tabad, 28, died on 18 August 2026, almost a year after border guards reportedly shot him in the head. His family endured months of uncertainty as he remained in intensive care, eventually taking him home to nurse him themselves because they could no longer afford his continued treatment. His case reveals how the consequences of a shooting can extend through prolonged medical care and financial hardship before a family loses someone.

Fuel Carrier Deaths Receive Little Attention

Baloch fuel carriers have faced a similar reported pattern of lethal attacks, with at least 13 sukhtbars killed between January and August 2026 in incidents connected to shootings, pursuits and other actions by military and security forces. The experts said these deaths demand scrutiny, drawing attention to communities whose dangerous working conditions are closely tied to a lack of alternative livelihoods.

National and international attention has largely centred on protests and subsequent executions, leaving deaths in border areas with far less public visibility. Iranian authorities publish no official statistics on kolbar or sukhtbar deaths, according to the experts, placing the responsibility for documenting fatalities on grieving families and civil society organisations. That absence of official reporting leaves those communities doing the difficult work of ensuring the dead are counted.

Families Deserve Answers and Accountability

The experts linked the border deaths to a broader pattern of reported unlawful killings by Iranian security forces, including the killing of protesters in December 2025 and January 2026, reported extrajudicial killings in heavily militarised provinces, and deaths in custody. They stressed that suspicions about transporting goods in breach of customs rules cannot justify firearms when the conduct presents no threat to life.

Every death caused by security forces requires a prompt, independent and impartial investigation, the experts said, with families entitled to truth, accountability and reparation. Their appeal also called for livelihoods that allow Kurdish and Baloch communities to support their families without entering the line of fire, placing economic opportunity alongside the urgent need to end unlawful violence.