Iranian security forces in Sistan and Baluchestan Province Baluchistan killed a teenager after opening fire on his vehicle on Sunday, September 29.
The victim, Meysam Nodratzehi, 18, was porting fuel, near the border region of Saravan in Sistan and Baluchestan province.
One of the witnesses said, “After security forces opened fire, Meysam’s car caught fire. Meysam tried to get out of the burning car, but the agents shot him dead and he burned in his car.”
Sistan and Baluchestan, mainly populated by Sunnis, is one of the most deprived provinces of Iran where due to increasing poverty, people transport diesel fuel to make a living.
Several Baluchis have been targeted in the past year while smuggling fuel to make ends meet in this unemployment-stricken area.
Iran’s state forces carry out these shootings without any legal implications and with impunity.
Earlier in September, security forces attacked and killed three other fuel porters in Saravan by opening fire on their car. Security forces left the scene after killing and injuring the porters, and local citizens had to put out the fire and transfer the survivors to the hospital.
A recent study by Iranian human rights activists said that at least 300 Iranian citizens were directly or indirectly killed or wounded by Iran’s state security forces in 2018.
At least 142 reports were published about these incidents which indicate the widespread use of lethal force by Iran’s security forces without due process which amounts to arbitrary killings.
The figur does not include the number of citizens who were killed during protests, killed in prison or those who were undergoing prosecution.
A large number of the deaths or injuries as a result of lethal force by security forces were carried out in the western Kurdish areas of Iran and the Baluch areas in the south eastern regions of Iran.
