To: Human Rights Watch, the United Nations, and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Date: August 12, 2024
Reports and evidence indicate that landmines planted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) along the borders of Sistan and Baluchistan province have caused the deaths and injuries of numerous Baluch citizens. In the most recent incident on Friday, June 21, 2024, Mehr Bibi Siahani, a 70-year-old Baluch woman, was tragically killed by a landmine explosion while grazing her livestock.
The death of Mehr Bibi Siahani is just one of several similar tragedies in recent months, which have instilled fear and anxiety in the local community. Earlier, on January 29, 2024, Taha Raisi, an 11-year-old fuel carrier (sukhtbar), lost his legs in a landmine explosion in an area frequently used by cross-border fuel carriers where the IRGC had planted mines. On February 9, 2024, Aminollah Salarzehi was killed by a landmine explosion in the city of Zabol.
These deaths and injuries from landmines are happening even though Baluchistan has never been a war zone. Tragically, in recent months, five people have lost their lives due to landmines, which the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) regards as a defensive measure. It's important to note that planting landmines in non-combat zones and areas not currently experiencing conflict is a clear violation of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), of which Iran is an observer.
Most of these mines have been laid in the border areas of Baluchistan to control the borders and the activities of fuel carriers who traverse these regions. Given the economic marginalization of the Baluch people, many have turned to fuel carrying as a means of survival. Landmining not only endangers the lives of fuel carriers but also disrupts the lives of local residents, creating the risk of death or severe injury.
We therefore call for the following:
1. Immediate cessation of landmining in border areas: All landmining activities must cease immediately, and all existing mines must be safely neutralized.
2. Independent and transparent investigations: An independent international committee should be established to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into this issue, identify those responsible, and hold them accountable.
3. Support and compensation for victims' families: The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran must provide necessary financial and psychological support to the families of the victims.
4. Creation of job opportunities: The government must improve the region's economic conditions by creating stable and appropriate job opportunities to prevent similar tragedies.
This petition aims to protect the lives and safety of innocent people and prevent the recurrence of these tragic events.
برای جلوگیری از تکرار مرگ و مصدومیت هموطنان بلوچ در اثر انفجار مین.