Ahmad Taheri

Ahmad Taheri, as the police commander of Sistan and Baluchestan province, is responsible for the use of deadly weapons against unarmed protesters by the forces under his command, which resulted in injuring many protesters and killing at least 13, including Mohammad Saleh Motaghedi and 13-year-old Hassan Mohammadzehi in the Shuro area of Zahedan on February 24, 2021.

Not only did Taher not take action to investigate the role of his forces in killing the protesters, but he also called the shooting and killing of unarmed protesters by his forces "a confrontation with gunmen," and while protests continued in various cities across the province he claimed in an interview that “the unrest is ended in the province and the police is in full control of the situation”.

On February 23, 2021, after the Revolutionary Guards opened fire on fuel couriers (AKA Sookhtbars) who had gathered to protest the blockade of the Saravan border crossing by the Revolutionary Guards, killing at least 10 Sookhtbar, widespread protests began throughout Sistan and Baluchestan province and continued the following days. The protests were suppressed by violence and the use of deadly weapons by police, the IRGC forces. According to some reports, the death toll from the protests has risen to a total of at least 23 people. Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, described the crimes as part of “the systematic intentional use of lethal force by Iranian border officials, especially against border couriers from the Kurdish and Baluch minorities.”

Press Briefing Notes on Iran, OHCHR, 5 March 2021

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:WTuFMH84WLEJ:https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx%3F%2520NewsID%3D24715%26LangID%3DR+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

Explanations of two local officials about the attack on Saravan Governor's Office, Tabnak, February 25, 2021

https://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/1036938/%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B6%DB%8C%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D9%88-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87-%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86

Sistan and Baluchestan police commander: Saravan riots are over / The situation is under the complete control of the police, Tasnim, February 25, 2021

https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1399/12/07/2459674/%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88-%D8%A8%D9%84%D9%88%DA%86%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A2%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C-%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%BE%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%AA-%DA%A9%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%84-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%84-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA

Iran: Unlawful killings of destitute fuel porters must be independently investigated, Amnesty International, 2 March 2021

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/03/iran-unlawful-killings-of-destitute-fuel-porters-must-be-independently-investigated/

Tension and clashes in the city of Saravan in protest of the "killing of fuel couriers by the IRGC", Radio Farda, February 23, 2021

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/clashes-in-saravan-over-the-killing-of-fuel-carriers-by-the-irgc/31117110.html

UN condemns killing of at least 23 protesters in Sistan-Baluchistan, Radio Farda, March 6, 2021

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/un-condemns-up-to-23-killings-in-iran-s-sistan-balouchestan-province/31136017.html

"Strike" in several cities of Sistan and Baluchistan province in protest of the killing of fuel couriers, Radio Farda, February 27, 2021

https://web.archive.org/web/20210224113917/https://www.radiofarda.com/a/strike-in-some-cities-of-sistan-and-baluchestan-province-to-protest-the- killing-of-fuel-carriers / 31119278.html

Rising death toll in Sistan and Baluchistan under the shadow of the Internet shutdown, March 4, 2021

https://persian.iranhumanrights.org/1399/12/sistan-and-baluchistan-protest/

Shooting at Fuel Couriers / Identification of Some Fuel Couriers Killed and Injured, Baluch Activists Campaign, March 3, 2021

https://balochcampaign.us/%d8%aa%da%a9%d9%85%db%8c%d9%84%db%8c-%d8%aa%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b2%db%8c-%d8%a8%d9%87-%d8%b3%d9%88%db%8c-%d8%b3%d9%88%d8%ae%d8%aa%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a7%d8%ad%d8%b1%d8%a7/

Continuation of protest and strike in Saravan and its spread to other cities of Baluchistan, Javaneh, February 27, 2021

https://javanehha.com/2021/02/24/%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B6-%D9%88-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88-%DA%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA/

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  57 rioters in Zahedan arrested