Four UN special rapporteurs, condemning the use of lethal force against Kurdish kolbars and Baluch fuel smugglers, asked officials of the Islamic Republic to put an end to these killings and to conduct independent investigations into the cases of death.

They described kolbars and fuel smugglers as among the most economically deprived groups in Iran and stressed: “They should not pay for this poverty with their lives.”

Based on the reports cited by the experts, at least 12 kolbars have been killed since the beginning of 2026 as a result of shootings by border forces or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In addition, from January to August, at least 13 fuel smugglers have died in connection with shootings, pursuits and other actions by military and security forces.

The UN rapporteurs emphasized that suspicion of smuggling goods in violation of customs regulations, in the absence of a threat to life, does not justify the use of firearms. They also said that Islamic Republic officials do not publish official figures on the deaths of kolbars and fuel smugglers, and they called for urgent, independent and impartial investigations and for those responsible for these deaths to be held accountable.