Stop Killing Couriers and Revise Border Closure Plan

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Dangerous Borders,Callous MurdersDocumen ng the Killings of Couriers inIrans Western Provinces


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Interna onal Campaignfor Human Rights in IranNew York Headquarters

Copyright Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran 2012

Dangerous Borders, Callous MurdersDocumen ng the Killings of Couriers inIrans Western Provinces


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Documen ng the Killings of Couriers inIrans Western Provinces

AUGUST 2012

Dangerous Borders,Callous Murders


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The Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran is a non-par san,independent human rights non-pro t 501(c)3 organiza on based in NewYork that works ac vely in La n America, the United States, and Europe. TheCampaigns team is comprised of trained lawyers, researchers, and journalistswith extensive research and advocacy experience in interna onal organiza onsand publica ons.

The mission of the Campaign is to promote human rights to ensure a culture ofrespect for the human dignity and rights of all and to hold Iranian state actorsaccountable to their interna onal obliga ons.

The Campaign documents human rights viola ons in Iran via rst-hand andoriginal sources within the country, and publishes statements, appeals, blogposts, mul media produc ons, and comprehensive reports in both Englishand Persian. The Campaign advocates with na onal governments andintergovernmental ins tu ons, and cooperates with a broad range of civilsociety organiza ons on behalf of strategies aimed at protec ng civil societyand improving human rights in Iran.

ABOUT US


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TABLE OFCONTENTS

DANGEROUS BORDERS, CALLOUS MURDERS

Background

The Economic Landscape of Kulbar and Kasebkar

Irans Border Closure Plan

Cases

Lack of Redress and Accountability

Interna onal Concerns and Law

Recommenda ons

Full List of Kulbar and Kasebkar Killed and Injured

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8

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14

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Several of my friends, who were their families breadwinners, were killed by the police and military forces.The people of this region have no other op on of employment. They are taking risks with their lives in order tofeed their families. a kulbar from Baneh, in an interview with the Interna onal Campaign for Human Rightsin Iran


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DANGEROUS BORDERS,CALLOUS MURDERS

In 2006, Iranian authori es began implemen ng a newborder security program intended to prevent terroristsand smuggled goods from crossing its borders. In themonths between March 2011 and April 2012, at least74 low-income Iranian ci zens working as cross-bordercouriers were killed in the border regions, and at leastanother 76 were injured, largely by security forces.These killings and injuries, featured in a full list below,all occurred between March 2011 and April 2012 withinthe context of Irans Border Closure Plan. 1

The numerous cases of border security forces killingcouriers, o en called kulbar , in the northwestern prov -inces of West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Kermanshahrepresent a growing pa ern of excessive use of lethalforce. The sudden increase in border killings and inju -ries appears to be an outcome of Irans comprehensiveproject of sustainable security, as Deputy Interior Min -ister for Security A airs Ali Abdollahi called the BorderClosure Plan. 2

Iranian law regards the ac vi es of the kulbari as acrime that is punishable by several months of deten onor a ne equal to the value of the seized commodi es,explains a March 2012 report by UN Special Rapporteuron human rights in Iran Ahmed Shaheed. [H]owever Iranian border guards [reportedly] indiscriminatelyshoot at these individuals, thereby killing and woundingdozens of kulbari annually, as well as their horses.

This brie ng paper features a growing list of vic ms ofborder security violence and exposure to the inhos -pitable condi ons of the less-patrolled areas of Irans

southwestern, northwestern, and western borders,which PressTV reported as the Interior Ministryspriori es. 3

1 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interviews, Kermanshah,West Azerbaijan, and Kurdistan provinces, April 2012.2 Iran plans to close o borders Press TV , April 23, 2011, h p://www.presstv.ir/detail/176342.html, accessed July 17, 2012.3 Ibid.

7Dangerous Borders,

Callous MurdersDocumen ng the Killings of Couriers in Irans Western Provinces

Photo by Sherko Jahani Asl


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The Campaign has documented 74 deaths and 76injuries to individuals working as kulbar , couri -ers that carry illegally imported goods, such astobacco, electronics, and res, on their backs, andkasebkar , tradesmen who transport similar goodsinto larger towns. These individuals live and workin the predominantly Kurdish northwestern borderprovinces of Irans West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, andKermanshah.

Of the 74 deceased kulbar and kasebkar , 70 wereallegedly shot and killed by government borderforces, and four reportedly died as a result oflandmine explosions, avalanches, and exposure tosevere cold. Among the 76 injured, eight were hurtduring landmine explosions, and the rest by bordersecurity. These numbers only represent individualswhose iden es and case par culars the Campaign

was able to verify independently or through reli -able local sources. There may be many more cases;however, due to the economic and geographicisola on of the kulbar these cases are likely under -reported.

The Economic Landscape of Kulbar and Kasebkar

Iran has 8,755 kilometers of shared borders with 15countries, 2,000 kilometers through sea borders.With more than 240 kilometers of land and waterborders, Iraq is Irans major western neighbor. Dueto Iraqs internal issues and lack of security in thecountry, Irans western borders are considered oneof the major points of entry and exit of smuggledgoods and fuel. West Azerbaijan Province has 960kilometers of shared borders with Iraq, Turkey, andthe Republic of Azerbaijan.

The kulbar and kasebkar are mostly ac ve in the

mountainous border region between the towns ofQasr-e Shirin and Khoy in Iran, along its northwest -ern borders with Iraq and Turkey. 4 This geographyspans the provinces of Kermanshah, Kurdistan, andWest Azerbaijan.

This region is predominantly populated by Kurds,an ethnic minority in Iran, and is marked by a gen -eral dearth of economic infrastructure and devel -opment propor onate to the popula on, resul ngin high rates of poverty and unemployment. TheIranian government puts the unemployment ratefor the region at 14 percent, but local experts andac vists say this number is a misrepresenta on andthe real rate is well over 20 percent. 54 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interview with localexpert on kulbar and kasebkar , April 2012.5 Doniya-ye Eghtesad as quotes by Farda News, Unemployment rentsin the double digits in 23 provinces, (Narkh-e bikaari-ye do raghmi dar23 ostan), Farda News , April 16, 2012, h p://www.fardanews.com/fa/news/197599/%D9%86%D8%B1%D8%AE-%D8%A8%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%

BACKGROUND


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Due to the high rate of unemployment, many localsengage in transpor ng and impor ng foreign goodsthrough uno cial channels in return for a smallfee. These kulbar carry packages on their backs oron horses through hard-to-reach mountain passesover borders and into the regions towns and vil -lages. Individuals who transport goods by car intolarger towns and the countrys central region arecalled kasebkar or tradesmen. Kasebkar typicallyemploy kulbar .

Goods transported by kulbar and border trades -men into the country mostly include audio andvideo equipment, clothing and fabric, makeup, car

res, cigare es, and, in a very limited way, alco -hol, a local expert familiar with the subject andwith those regions where encounters between thekulbar and security forces frequently occur told theCampaign.

85%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-23-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D9%86, accessed April 23, 2012; Interna onal Campaign for HumanRights in Iran interviews with local ac vists, April 2012.

Massoud Kordpour, a Sanandaj-based journalistand ac vist, told Deutsche Welle news agency in aninterview in April 2011: You see all the individualswho are kulbar and who die for this. This phenom -enon of working as a kulbar shows that the eco -nomic situa on of the region is so bad that peopleare forced to take on a job that has a securitycomponent and carries the danger of death andbeing shot. 6

Irans Border Closure Plan

According to Campaign research based on state -ments and observa ons by local ac vists, kulbar and kasebkar are known to use border regions asfar south as Nosood in Kermanshah Province andas far north as Salmas in West Azerbaijan Province.6 Keyvandakht Ghahari interview with Massoud Kordpour, Look -ing for Employment in Kurdistan, (Negahi be Eshtaqal dar Kurd -istan), Deutsche Welle , April 23, 2011, h p://www.dw.de/dw/ar -

cle/0,,15025855,00.html, accessed April 26, 2012.


Documen ng the Killings of Couriers in Irans Western Provinces

The provinces of Kermanshah, Kurdistan, and parts of West Azerbaijan are predominantly populated by Kurds,an ethnic minority in Iran. The border towns are marked by a general dearth of economic infrastructure anddevelopment propor onate to the popula on, resul ng in high rates of unemployment.


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The border region near the town of Sardasht, inWest Azerbaijan, has seen the most alleged killingsof border couriers and tradesmen by the Iranian

police, followed by the Marivan and Baneh borderregions in Kurdistan.

The Border Closure Plan a ects all of the regionswhere kulbar and kasebkar live. State media do notcover the killings of kulbar and kasebkar , leading toa lack of public informa on and therefore no publicdiscussion about the human cost of the plan.

The Establishment of the Plan

A local human rights ac vist told the Campaignthat the recent surge in killings of kulbar coincidedwith the beginning of Irans Border Closure Plan in2006. That year, a large budget was approved forthe implementa on of several projects in severalborder areas in the country, most notably WestAzerbaijan Province, and projects con nued in

Border security have inten onally shot and killed horses andother beasts of burden used to transport goods, according tolocal sources. Police have reportedly set re to several animalscarrying smuggled fuel into Iraqi Kurdistan, burning them alive.



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Kurdistan Province and areas of Kermanshah Prov -ince into 2008. 7 The plan aimed to combat goodssmuggling and illegal tra c across the borders, and

a crackdown on border couriers, known as kulbar ,and border tradesmen, known as kasebkar , hasintensi ed since that me.

Various Iranian o cials have claimed that the planhas contributed to a decline in border smuggling,but there is no evidence to back up such claims.Unfortunately, a er this plan was implemented,the sta s cs of border couriers and tradesmen whowere killed rose considerably.

During a visit to the border areas of KurdistanProvince in December 2008, Ahmad Reza Radan,Deputy Commander of Irans Police, told reportersat a press conference, The ul mate goal of theBorder Closure Plan, which aims to combat smug -gling and illegal trade, is the countrys economicgrowth and development.... According to this plan,problem border areas, whether by land or water,will be completely closed by erec ng monitoringtowers, digging canals, se ng up barbed wire,building walls, [and] using electronic equipmentand thermal cameras, in order to prevent smug -

gling and to cut o the reach of smugglers and golddiggers through illegi mate means. 8

On December 18, 2009, Alireza Sheikh Robat,Khuzestan Provinces Deputy Governor for Securityand Police A airs, told Fars News Agency, Dur -ing recent months, the High Council on Na onalSecurity has asked the Interior Ministry to preparea comprehensive project on border managementin the country. This plan will organize the bordersin all dimensions, including border closure, legalissues, livelihood, and welfare of border region

residents and organiza on of border ports. 97 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interview with localrights ac vist, April 2012.8 Vazeh, Commanders: The Border Closing Project aims for the coun -trys economic development, ( Sardaarraadan: Tarh-e ensedaad-emarzha ba hadaf-e towse-e eghtesaadi-ye keshvar soorat migirad),Vazeh , December 16, 2008, h p://www.vazeh.com/n-3140793.html,accessed April 23, 2012.9 Fars News, The countrys borders in Khuzestan is organized,(Marzha-ye keshvar dar Khuzestan saamandahi mishavad), FarsNews , December 18, 2010, h p://www.farsnews.com/newstext.

Plan Budget

Since its incep on, hundreds of millions of dol -

lars have been spent on the Border Closure Plan,though no government o cial has so far an -nounced the total funds allocated to the project.This year, $106 million will be spent on the coun -trys Border Closure Plan, said the Interior Min -ister, Mostafa Najjar, during a press conference in2010. 10 In a public appeal to the Iranian Parliamentto request more funding for the Border ClosurePlan on December 16, 2011, Police CommanderEsmaeel Ahmadi Moghaddam complained aboutthe inadequacy of the 2011 budget, saying, The

gure of $85,000 for the Border Closure Plan is asmall gure; it has been reduced compared to theprojects ini al year budget of $125 [thousand]. 11 However, just a few days later, on January 19, 2012,Ali Abdollahi, the Security-Police Deputy for IransInterior Ministry told Etelaat Newspaper that since2007, the budget allocated to the Border ClosurePlan had increased. The development work on theborders has increased 1,200%, and the related bud -get has also grown 17 mes, but these resourcesare s ll insu cient, he said. 12

Comba ng Terrorism: The O cial Narra ve ofthe Border Closure Plan

In October 2010, Ali Abdollahi, Deputy InteriorMinister for Security, told Fars News Agency,Closure of western borders is a top priority forthe Interior Ministry. Abdollahi described Irans

php?nn=8909270960, accessed April 23, 2012.10 West Azerbaijan Province O cial Website, Closing the border willcost the country 1000 and 60 billion rials, (Yek hezar va 60 milliaardrial eetebaar baraye ensedaad-e marzi dar keshvar), West AzerbaijanProvince Ofcial Website , April 10, 2010, h p://www.ostan-ag.gov.ir/

tabid/871/ar cleType/Ar cleView/ar cleId/501/-60-----.aspx, accessedApril 23, 2012.11 Jam-e Jam Online, The budget for closing borders is low, (Budjeensedaad-e marzha kam ast), Jam-e Jam Online , December 16, 2011,h p://77.104.65.1/newstext.aspx?newsnum=100862164620, accessedApril 23, 2012.12 E elaat, The overall plan for closing the borders is for comba ngdrug smuggling, (Tarh-e saraasariye ensedaad-e marzha barayemaghabeleh ba ghaachaagh-e kaalaa va mavaad-e mokhader),E elaat , January 19, 2012, h p://www.e elaat.com/new/index.asp?fname=2012%5C01%5C01-19%5C20-53-05.htm, accessed April23, 2012.




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While o cials held up the Border Closing Plan as aprogram to s mulate economic growth within Iran,the regions along Irans western border remainamong the most economically depressed in thecountry. 17 Without any other opportuni es to earnmoney and feed their families, many of the peoplein these regions are resor ng to border smugglingeven as it becomes ever more dangerous.

In December 2008, Fakhreddin Heydari, an Ira -nian Parliament Member represen ng KurdistanProvinces Saghez and Baneh towns, demandeda comprehensive approach to the Border ClosurePlan which would augment the plan with a jobcrea on scheme that would include construc ngborder shopping malls, easing imports and exports,and encouraging nancial investment in the region.Peoples par cipa on would guarantee the suc -cess of every plan, especially in social and econom -ic areas, on the condi on that the plans objec veswould not be in contradic on with the societyslegi mate goals, Heydari told the reporters. 18

Even with government sta s cs that many believe

consistently paint a more favorable picture of Iranseconomy, with 2011s high unemployment rates ofIlam and Kermanshah at 15.7%, Kurdistan at 14%,and Western Azerbaijan at 13%, Irans westernprovinces are among those with highest unemploy -ment rates in the country. 19

Government o cials have claimed that there was asharp drop in the value of smuggled goods in 201017 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interviews withlocal ac vists, April 2012.18 Shahr News, Member of Parliament: The success of the border

closing project requires the organizing of marketplaces on the border(Namaayande-ye Majles: Movafaghiyat-e tarh-e ensedaad-e marzhamostalzem saamaandahi-ye bazarchehaye marzi ast), Shahr News ,December 24, 2008, h p://www.sharnews.com/cms/?p=1544, ac -cessed April 23, 2012.19 Doniya-ye Eghtesad, Unemployment rents in the double dig -its in 23 provinces, (Narkh-e bikaari-ye do raghmi dar 23 ostan),Farda News, April 16, 2012, h p://www.fardanews.com/fa/news/197599/%D9%86%D8%B1%D8%AE-%D8%A8%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-23-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D9%86, accessed April 23, 2012.

($5 billion according to Saeed Mortazavi, then Headof the governments Task Force Against Smuggling),and in 2011 ($6 billion, according to MohammadIlkhani, the Deputy for Legal A airs at the TaskForce Against Smuggling), a ribu ng much of this

success to the Border Closure Plan. 20 Private sectoreconomic experts, however, believe that due to20 Hamshahri Online, 5 billion dollar decrease in the volume ofsmuggled goods to the country in the year 89 (Kaahesh-e 5miliyaard-e dolaari hojoom-e ghaachaag-e kaalaa be keshvar dar saal89), Hamshahri Online , December 31, 2011, h p://www.hamshah -rionline.ir/news-155546.aspx, accessed April 23, 2012; Eco News, 6billion dollar decrease in smuggled goods, (Kaahesh-e 6 miliyaard-edolaari ghaachaagh-e kaalaa), Eco News , July 2, 2012, h p://www.econews.ir/fa/NewsContent.aspx?ac on=print&id=172605, accessedJuly 23, 2012.



Kulbar carry packages on their backs or on horses through hard-to-reach mountain passes over borders and into the regions townsand villages. Even if we were to escape, we would not cause heavydamage to the government, warran ng their wanton direct target -ing of us. a kulbar from Baneh



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the governments economic and banking policies,not only did the smuggling sta s cs not decrease,

but there was even a serious jump in the value ofgoods smuggled into Iran over the past year. 21

Contrary to o cial claims, the Border ClosurePlan and related government policies that are notdesigned to facilitate legal gainful employment forborder residents have pushed border region resi -dents to work as kulbar and kasebkar as the onlymeans to earn a living in a depressed economy.

Residents of Irans western provinces told the Cam -paign that the increased risk of death or injury hasnot contributed to a decrease in goods smuggling,but has simply made the trade more dangerous forthem. They said that because the economic condi -

ons in their region are so poor, they have no otherop on than to work as kulbar or kasebkar .

21 Donya-e-Eghtesaad, Con ic ng sta s cs of the amount ofsmuggling, (Amaarha-ye motenaaghez az mizaan-eghaachaagh),Donya-e-Eghtesaad , July 3, 2012, h p://www.donya-e-eqtesad.com/Default_view.asp?@=307510, accessed July 23, 2012.

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CASES

The Campaign has documented 74 deaths and 76injuries to individuals working as kulbar , couriersthat carry illegally imported goods, such as tobacco,electronics, and res, on their backs, and kasebkar ,tradesmen who transport similar goods into largertowns. These killings and injuries, featured in a fulllist below, all occurred between March 2011 andApril 2012 within the context of a new governmentborder control program.

These kulbar are unarmedif they were armedit would aggravate any charges they might face, alocal expert on the kulbar told the Campaign. 22

Of the 74 deceased kulbar and kasebkar , 70 wereallegedly shot and killed by government borderforces, and four reportedly died as a result oflandmine explosions, avalanches, and exposure tosevere cold. Among the 76 injured, eight were hurt

during landmine explosions, and the rest by bordersecurity. These numbers only represent individualswhose iden es and case par culars the Campaignwas able to verify independently or through reli -able local sources. There may be many more cases;however, due to the economic and geographicisola on of the kulbar these cases are likely under -reported.

The local expert told the Campaign that, in prac -ce, nes can be several mes the value of the

seized goods. If they encounter the authori es,they simply try to run away to avoid what wouldbe a he y ne. Because they usually cannot a ordsuch an amount, they would be thrown in prison,the expert added. 23

A kulbar who has worked almost 10 years in the22 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interview with localexpert on kulbar , April 2012.23 Ibid.


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border town of Baneh told the Campaign,

Because of the border closing proj -ect, during the past several years,without regard for our lives, thepolice have been wai ng in moun -tainous and hard-to-pass areasfor us. A er warning us to stop,without ring a warning shot, theyshoot at us directly. Several mesduring these past few years, bulletshave own by the side of my head

and hands.

Kulbar carry goods such as ciga -re es, tex les, and video equip -ment. Even if we were to escape,we would not cause heavy damageto the government, warran ngtheir wanton direct targe ng ofus.

Several of my friends, who weretheir families breadwinners, werekilled by the police and militaryforces. The people of this regionhave no other op on of employ -ment. They are taking risks withtheir lives in order to feed theirfamilies. 24

Another local source told the Campaign,

As an example, on 22 March 2011,during con sca on of goods fromseveral border tradesmen in thetown of Nosood, the Deputy Bor -der Commander of Nosood shotat several kulbar inside the towns

24 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interview withkulbar from Baneh, April 2012.



Kulbar and kasebkar are mostly ac ve in the mountainous border regionbetween the towns of Qasr-e Shirin and Khoy in Iran, along its northwesternborders with Iraq and Turkey. This geography spans the provinces of Kerman -shah, Kurdistan, and West Azerbaijan.



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Moallem Square. A young Kurdishman by the name of PourmandMadhatnia was murdered during

the shoo ng and three other ci -zens were injured. 25

The killing of Madhatnia triggered protests bylocals of the town. The police ini ally detained theo cer involved in the shoo ng, then transferredhim to a post in another town. Later, however, thepolice a acked and arrested several of those whohad par cipated in the protest, the source said.

In an earlier example of excessive force, in February2010, police severely beat Mohammad Reza Khali -di, a 60-year-old Kurdish-Iranian bulldozer operatorin the border region of Chalehcheremi in Nosood,leading to his death. Authori es had mistakenlythought Khalidi was a kulbar. 26

A close friend of Khalidi told the Campaign, A erhis family led a lawsuit with the military court, thepolice denied the incident, even though several lo -cals tes ed to it, and a er several months, underpressure from the police, the case was shelved. 27

Not all arrests lead to legal limbo. According to alocal source quo ng a family member of HashemNazari, a kulbar from Javanrood who was arrestedfor carrying smuggled goods on November 26,2010, Nazari died a suspicious death inside theNahavand-Kangavar road police sta on deten oncenter. A er his arrest, Hashem Nazari was sen -tenced to cash nes by the Kangavar GovernmentalDiscre onary Punishments Organiza on, and wasto be transferred to Kermanshah Central Prison.However, before being transferred to prison, hedied inside the police deten on center. 28

Police authori es who contacted his family stated

25 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interview with localsource familiar with kulbar , April 2012.26 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interview with localsource familiar with Khalidis case, April 2012.27 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interview withfriend of Khalidi, April 2012.28 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interview withindividual close to the family of Hashem Nazari, April 2012.

his cause of death as suicide. His familys de -mands for an inves ga on into his cause of deathhave been fu le. Police authori es have stated that

they performed an autopsy on his body and sentthe results to Tehran to determine of the causeof death, but as of this wri ng, the family has notreceived any responses.

Another example of excessive use of force is themurder of Kamyaran kulbar Bakh ar Rahmani.During a pursuit of several automobiles carryingforeign cigare es, forces from Kermanshahs An -Smuggling O ce directly shot and killed the driverof one of the cars. A er the Kurdish mans murder,the An -Smuggling o cers were unable to ndany goods in the tradesmans automobile. Further -more, a er returning Bakh ar Rahmanis body tohis family, they pressured his family to introduceRahmanis friends to the police.

In addi on to the deaths and injuries sustained bykulbar themselves, some kulbar and their familiesand friends have reported that border securityhave inten onally shot and killed their horses andother beasts of burden used to transport goods.Sources in the towns of Marivan and Sardasht also

claim that police have set re to several animalscarrying smuggled fuel into Iraqi Kurdistan, burningthem alive.

According to sources, police kill the animals toincrease the cost of the trade for couriers, trades -men, and their families, aiming to deter this type ofwork in the border areas.

Lack of Redress and Accountability

Due to the levels of extreme violence facing kulbarand kasebkar , many live in fear of a acks that couldmaim or kill them. However, due to the generalpoverty and lack of educa on in the regions wherekulbar and kasebkar reside, many never le com -plaints for fear of nes or imprisonment, or worse.A local ac vist familiar with the situa on told theCampaign that even those who do le cases will


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rarely follow up with the courts, out of the samefears. 29

The Campaign inves gated the cases of dozensof injured kulbar and the families of killed kulbar who led complaints with the Iranian Judiciary.In some cases the Judiciary e ec vely quashedhearings by postponing them inde nitely. In othercases, according to the families, authori es nevereven responded to their complaints. In one caseauthori es paid the complaining family diyeh orblood money, which is the nancial compensa onprovided in cases of murder.

Two Kurdish kulbar , who were paralyzed in theirarms and legs during separate incidents of directshoo ngs by the police, led lawsuits against thepolice in military courts. Their family members toldthe Campaign that their lawsuits have not beenaddressed, despite tes monies by several eyewit -nesses and reports from the medical examiner. One29 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interview with localexpert on kulbar and kasebkar , April 2012.

of the kulbar was from the Nosood border region inKermanshah Province, and the other from the RashMountain border in the town of Salmas in WestAzerbaijan Province. 30

Another obstacle the kulbar face is lack of access tolegal representa on and the courts. The family ofthe paralyzed kulbar from Nosood told the Cam -paign he could not a ord a lawyer. A er severalyears of pursuing a lawsuit in military court andrepeated postponements by the court, his case hasin e ect been abandoned since the court has notreacted to his lawsuit. The other paralyzed kulbar ,from Salmas, does have a lawyer, his family told the

Campaign. Nevertheless, the military court judge,who is presiding over the case in Tehran, has post -poned his court sessions every month for severalyears, despite his vigorous pursuit of the case, thefamily said. 31

30 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interviews with thefamilies of injured kulbar from Nosood and Salmas, April 2012.31 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interview with thefamily of Salmas kulbar injured by border patrol, April 2012.



A kulbar in Piranshahr City, a common stopping point for both kulbar and kasebkar , prepares his horse to join thecaravan crossing Irans western border from West Azerbaijan Province into Iraq.



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To the Government of Iran: Put an end to the use of lethal force against

unarmed kulbar and kasebkar . Uphold promises to enhance the economicsitua on of the residents of border regions.

Adopt policies respec ng economic and so -cial rights and create condi ons favorableto legal employment at livable wages in theborder regions.

Clear the landmines in border regions. Stop harrassing local human rights ac vists

who shed light on abuses commi ed byborder security.

To the Iranian Judiciary: Inves gate those killings that have oc -curred and hold perpetrators accountable.

Stop using illegal methods to in midateand silence vic ms and their families.

Stop harrassing the families of those whoseek accountability and jus ce.

To the Iranian Police: Train border security o cials to respect

domes c and interna onal law, humandignity, and life.

Adopt clear policies to stop unlawful andunnecessary killing.

To the Iranian Parliament: Review border security measures and the

growing pa ern of border security forceskilling kulbar and kasebkar without cause.

Cra legisla on to stop unlawful and un -necessary killing.

Develop the budget of the Border ClosurePlan to ensure economic improvement inthe region.

To the Interna onal Community: Monitor the situa on of kulbar , kasebkar ,

and residents of Irans border regions. Hold the Iranian government accountable

for these human rights viola ons. Take appropriate ac on to encourage the

Iranian government to ensure the econom -ic and social rights of border residents.

RECOMMENDATIONS

19Dangerous Borders,



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Name Place of residency Place of occurrence Date of occurrence Shot & killedor injured Addi onal notes

Pourmand Madhatnia Nosood Moallem Square,Nosood

22 March 2011 Shot and killed

Shavan Salama an Nosood Moallem Square,Nosood

22 March 2011 Injured

Loghman Azeri Nosood Moallem Square,Nosood


Farshad Marivan Border 22 March 2011 Injured

Hiva Mohammadi Nosood Moallem Square,Nosood


Jamal Marivan Border 22 March 2011 Injured

Shirkoo Amini Baneh Border 23 March 2011 Injured

Khaled Sharif Joola Baneh Border 23 March 2011 Injured

Parviz Saqqez Saqqez 29 March 2011 InjuredMajid Saqqez Saqqez 29 March 2011 Injured

Houshang Ayouri Salmas Border 11 April 2011 Injured

Ayoub Parlak Van Khoy 13 April 2011 Shot and killed

Adel Parlak Van Khoy 13 April 2011 Shot and killed

Salah Sananadaj Sananadaj 14 April 2011 Injured

Arkan Sanandaj Sanandaj 14 April 2011 Injured

Mohammad AminFatahi

Piranshahr Border 22 April 2011 Injured Mine explosion

Mohammad Ra gh Marivan Border 26 April 2011 Injured

Abdoljabbar Youse Savoji village,Marivan

Savoji, Marivan 27 April 2011 Injured Mine explosion

Mohammad Moradi Divandareh Divandareh 2 May 2011 Injured Mine explosion

Ata Mohammadi Marivan Gholghooleh region 4 May 2011 Injured Mine explosion

Kamal Mohammadi Marivan Gholghooleh region 4 May 2011 Injured Mine explosion

Massoud Nikkhah Marivan Border 11 May 2011 Injured

Karavan Saeednia Marivan Border 13 May 2011 Shot and killed

Sardar Sardasht Border 17 May 2011 Injured

Idris Sardasht Saqqez 17 May 2011 Injured

Vahid Seyyed Teh Mahabad Mahabad 17 May 2011 Injured

Abdollah Savoji Village of Savoji Border of Marivan 22 May 2011 Shot and killed

Ibrahim Khezrpour Piranshahr Border 24 May 2011 Shot and killed

Molla Kakaee Sardasht Khadravi region 24 May 2011 Shot and killed

Abdollah Azeri Marivan Border 29 May 2011 Shot and killed

Mohammad Abbeh Marivan Border 29 May 2011 Shot and killed

Mahmoud Mosta -fanejad

Oshnavieh Border 30 May 2011 Shot and killed

Bakhtar Amami Javanroud Border 14 June 2011 InjuredAbdollah Ismaili Sardasht Border 20 June 2011 Shot and killed

Ismail Dariushi Saqqez Saqqez 20 June 2011 Shot and killed

Bakh ar Saqqez Saqqez 20 June 2011 Injured

Ismail Karimpour Saqqez Jadeh Saveh, TehranProvince

21 June 2011 Shot and killed

20

FULL LIST OFKULBAR AND KASEBKAR KILLED AND INJURED MARCH 2011 APRIL 2012 37

37 Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interviews with kulbar , kasebkar , their family members, their friends, andlocal ac vists in Kermanshah, Kurdistan, and West Azerbaijan provinces, March 2011 April 2012.


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Teh Baneh Sourkiv border 17 September 2011 Shot and killed Minor; two oth -ers injured

Ovat Youce Sardasht Marghani village 18 September 2011 Shot and killed Driver

Ribvar Azizi Baneh Border 20 September 2011 Injured

Ahmad Setari Ghehleh Rashvillage

Darman Ova regionin Sardasht

21 September 2011 Shot and killed

Moutalab Baneh Karimabad village 21 September 2011 Shot and killed

Omid Baneh Karimabad village 21 September 2011 Shot and killed

Soleiman Moradi Piranshahr Border 25 September 2011 Shot and killed 32 years old, had3 children

Youcef Karimi Mahabad Mahabad 25 September 2011 Shot and killed

Pash van Soleiman -nejad

Sardasht Border 25 September 2011 Shot and killed

Bahman Tolooiyan Makoo Diloukash region 25 September 2011 Shot and killed

Khabat Kouleh Hardi Sanandaj Sanandaj 1 October 2011 Shot and killed

Tow gh Ahmadi Toujali village,Sardasht

Bardehpan border 2 October 2011 Shot and killed Married andkulbar

Jalal Koukhi Baneh Border 12 October 2011 Injured

Erdal Yalmaz Van Orumiyeh border 15 October 2011 Shot and killed

Mohammad Shah -rami

Kanirash village Sardasht 16 October 2011 Injured

Hossein Shahrami Kanirash village Sardasht 16 October 2011 Injured

Ismail Ghasemi Gholehkhanivillage

Mileh Marzi Chal -daran

16 October 2011 Shot and kil led

Teh Savareh Baneh Sourkiv border 18 October 2011 Shot and killed Two peoplewere alsoinjured

Motaleb Ghader -zadeh

Baneh Baneh 22 October 2011 Shot and killed

Arami MohammadHajji

Baneh Kileh border 22 October 2011 Shot and killed

Tow gh Hajji Mostafa Baneh Border 24 October 2011 Shot and killed

Salim Azizi Baneh Border 24 October 2011 Shot and killed

Bijan Sanandaj Sanandaj 24 October 2011 Injured

Hamed Divollah N/A N/A 25 October 2011 Injured

Rahmat Nalaseh Sardasht Border 25 October 2011 Injured

Zanyar Marivan Border 26 October 2011 Shot and killed

Salim Ahmadi Sardasht Ghandil border 27 October 2011 Shot and killed

Farzad Karimi Sardasht Ghandil border 27 October 2011 Shot and killed

Soleiman Moham -madi

Sardasht Ghandil border 27 October 2011 Shot and killed

Katooneh Orumiyeh Rajan Orumiyeh 27 October 2011 Shot and killed

Mohammad Khez -rzadeh

Gardehrash village Sivehtal region,Sardasht

29 October 2011 Shot and killed

Jafar Amini Piranshahr Border 31 October 2011 Shot and killedIbrahim Elahi Bakhsh Rabat Baneh j ir, Sardasht 17 November 2011 Shot and kil led Driver

Rahman Bayzidi Mahabad Ahmad Bariv region,Sardasht

22 November 2011 Shot and killed

Nasser Rassouli Sardasht Border 22 November 2011 Injured

Sassan Farkhi Salmas Border 24 November 2011 Shot and killed

Khaled Farkhi Salmas Border 24 November 2011 Shot and killed

Nasser Bapiri Sardasht Border 25 November 2011 Injured

Nouzad Sardasht Border 25 November 2011 Injured

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Hashem Nazeri Javanroud Kangavar Deten onCenter

27 November 2011 Suspiciousdeath

Loghman Shikheh Yangijeh village Doulbi Marivanborder

28 November 2011 Injured

Borzu Azimi Sar Pol-e-Zahab Sar Pol-e-Zahab 2 December 2011 Shot and killed

Lawant Tonj Van Orumiyeh border 4 December 2011 Shot and killed

Abdollah Kourani Mahabad Kanizard, Piranshahr 10 December 2011 Injured

Vahed Khezri Banoukhalafvillage

Boulehfa region,Sardasht

12 December 2011 Injured

Mostafa Saqqez Saqqez 14 December 2011 Injured

Farrokh Naja Kermanshah Tazehabad border 14 December 2011 Shot and killed

Hamid Mohammadi Kermanshah Tazehabad border 14 December 2011 Injured

Akoo Marivan Doulehbi border 14 December 2011 Injured Son of Hossein

Bahaedin Rostami Baneh Border 16 December 2011 Injured

Ovat Rahimi Mahabad Tourjan Boukan 20 December 2011 Shot and killed Driver

Omar Khedri Saqqez Saqqez 23 December 2011 Shot and killed

Mostafa Shokri Sar Pol-e-Zahab Sar Pol-e-Zahab 31 December 2011 Shot and killed

Selah Ghaderi Rabat Rabat, Sardasht 3 January 2012 Shot and killedSaleh Koulkeh Rashi Sardasht Houmeli border 14 January 2012 Injured

Ibrahim Ahmadi Bidoush village,Sardasht

Ghayer Mis border 17 January 2012 Injured

Omar Nourbadan Sardasht Border 19 January 2012 Injured

Amir Zendi Sanandaj Jadeh Ghazvin 18 January 2012 Shot and killed

Shapour Zendi Sanandaj Jadeh Ghazvin 18 January 2012 Injured

Saleh Zendi Sanandaj Jadeh Ghazvin 18 January 2012 Injured

Heyva Naqshbandi Vashmazin village Sardasht border 30 January 2012 Died Mine explosion

Rahim Amidi Vashmazin vil lage Sardasht border 30 January 2012 Died Mine explosion

Ismail Ahmadi Shalmash village Sardasht border 1 February 2012 Died Avalanche

Rahim Ahmadi Shalmash village Sardasht border 1 February 2012 Died Avalanche

Rashad Karahancher Van Orumiyeh border 10 February 2012 Shot and killedSivan Bahloulfar Paveh Paveh 11 February 2012 Injured Mine explosion

Nouri Seyyed Sader Baneh Border 21 February 2012 Injured

Nizam Bashiri Orumiyeh Border 21 February 2012 Injured

Eyhan Kahrizi Orumyeh Border 21 February 2012 Injured

Osman Hajji Sharif Sardasht Border 28 February 2012 Injured

Ibrahim Ras Sardoush village Doulbi border,Marivan

28 February 2012 Shot and killed 24 years old

Reza Moulaee Kashkavij village Kouzerash region,Salmas

7 March 2012 Shot and killed 35 years old

Heydar Rahimi Saqqez Saqqez 11 March 2012 Shot and killed

23Dangerous Borders,



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Dangerous Borders,Callous MurdersDocumen ng the Killings of Couriers inIrans Western Provinces

Monitoring Iran:One Year into theMandate of theSpecial Rapporteuron the Situation ofHuman Rights in Iran

Irans SecretHangings: MassUnannouncedExecutions inMashhads VakilabadPrison

Raising TheirVoices: Iranian CivilSociety Refectionson the Military Option

Of cial Distortionand Disinformation:

A Guide to IransHuman Rights Crisis

Iranian law regards the ac vi es of the kulbari as a crime that is punishableby several months of deten on or a ne equal to the value of the seizedcommodi es. [H]owever Iranian border guards [reportedly] indiscrimi -nately shoot at these individuals, thereby killing and wounding dozens ofkulbari annually, as well as their horses.

Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on the situa on of human rightsin the Islamic Republic of Iran

In 2006, Iranian authori es began implemen ng a new border security program intended to prevent terrorists andsmuggled goods from crossing its borders. In the months between March 2011 and April 2012, at least 74 low-income Iranian ci zens working as cross-border couriers were killed in the border regions, and at least another 76were injured, largely by security forces. These killings and injuries, featured in a full li st herein, all occurred betweenMarch 2011 and April 2012 within the context of Irans Border Closure Plan.

The numerous cases of border security forces killing couriers, o en called kulbar, in the northwestern provincesof West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Kermanshah represent a growing pa ern of excessive use of lethal force. Thesudden increase in border killings and injuries appears to be an outcome of Irans comprehensive project ofsustainable security, as Deputy Interior Minister for Security A airs Ali Abdollahi called the border-closing project.

This brie ng paper features a growing list of vic ms of border security violence and exposure to the inhospitablecondi ons of the less-patrolled areas of Irans southwestern, northwestern, and western borders, which PressTVreported as the Interior Ministrys priori es.

Other reports by the Interna onal Campaign for Human Rights in Iran

Documents

Stop Killing Couriers and Revise Border Closure Plan