Unrest in Saravan; Several Fuel Smugglers Killed and Governor’s Office Seized

Details of the Clashes Still Unclear

Saravan’s representative called the killing of the fuel smugglers an “unfortunate incident” and said: “The matter is being reviewed by security officials and myself at the national level so that appropriate legal action can be taken against those who may have been negligent or caused problems.” He emphasized: “We must pay attention to the people.”

Saeed Tajalli, head of Saravan county’s security council, told ILNA on Tuesday, the fifth of Esfand, “We have not yet received accurate information about the events of Monday at the Saravan border” and “we cannot comment at this time.”

Shah Bakhsh Gorgij, Sistan and Baluchestan’s representative on the council of provinces, also told ILNA that it remains unclear whether “the incident was caused by our own forces or those outside the border.” He emphasized that “we have not yet been able to contact anyone in Saravan to gather more information, so we have not been able to obtain precise information on this matter.”

The Hand of “Opposition and Counter-Revolutionary Groups” is Involved

However, Mohammad Hadi Marashi, security deputy of Sistan and Baluchestan’s governorship, told the Young Journalists Club, close to the IRGC, said: “The gathering of fuel smugglers at the border crossing and their lack of restraint caused the assault and attack this morning on our border post, and after this incident we spoke with local elders and brought the matter under control.”

He claimed no one was harmed and the matter is under investigation. Marashi said regarding the seizure of the governor’s office by people that “some people on social media were inciting people to gather, which led to an attack on the governor’s office, and they dispersed after breaking the windows.”

Mohammad Hadi Marashi attributed the events in Saravan and the killing of fuel smugglers by the IRGC to the work of “opposition and counter-revolutionary groups” who, according to him, “had previously plotted and encouraged opportunistic individuals to carry out this sabotage.”

“Unemployment in Parts of Sistan and Baluchestan is Unparalleled in the World”

Iran’s border areas in Sistan and Baluchestan province are among the most deprived regions in Iran. Every year along this long border, many people are targeted and killed by security forces. Fuel smugglers make their living transporting fuel across the Iran-Pakistan border. They receive gasoline or diesel from intermediaries who bring it from other areas to this region and transport it across the border.

According to Hrana’s report, a coalition of human rights activists in Iran, in December published a joint report examining the performance of military forces and casualties inflicted on citizens, particularly in the country’s border areas, during 2018. Their report stated that in that year “300 citizens in 11 provinces of the country suffered incidents directly or indirectly due to military forces.”

Unemployment rates in the border areas of Sistan and Baluchestan are very high, industrial and agricultural development is low, and people’s poverty is severe. The province also faces chronic water shortage and drought. Many lands have been lost in recent years due to this water scarcity and many villages have been abandoned.

According to Alim Yarmohammadi, Zahedan’s representative in the tenth parliament, “Unemployment in parts of Sistan and Baluchestan is unparalleled in the world. The unemployment rate in Qasrqand and Nikshahr is around 65 percent and in Chabahar and Zahedan at the border it is 40 percent.”

He also pointed to the problem of fuel smugglers, which he said has become “very prominent in recent years.” He emphasized that as long as industries are not established in this region and agriculture does not flourish, “we cannot firmly ask people to stop smuggling fuel. The province has fallen into this situation because of water scarcity and the industry has not received sufficient attention.”