Hana, citing a report from the Balochistan Human Rights Documentation Network, has learned that on the evening of Wednesday, April 22, 2026, two Baluch citizens were killed by direct gunfire from Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces in Rask. The victims have been identified as Mohammad Islam Saeedi (approx. 31, son of Musa) and Mohammad Akram Akhtari (approx. 28, son of Morad Mohammad), both residents of Darchoub village in the Sarkur region of Sarbaz County.
According to the report, the two individuals were traveling in their vehicle when IRGC forces opened fire on them without issuing a prior stop command, an effective warning, or providing an opportunity to halt. Both men lost their lives after being struck by multiple bullets.
State-affiliated media, including Fars News Agency, citing security sources, have claimed that the deceased individuals were members of an “armed team.” However, relatives of the two citizens have flatly rejected these allegations, stating they were ordinary civilians with no links to armed groups.
Even assuming the existence of security suspicions, the use of lethal force is only justifiable when there is an immediate, real, and unavoidable threat to the lives of officers or others, and when no less-lethal means are available to neutralize the threat. Opening fire directly without effective warning, without proving immediate necessity, and without providing transparent information regarding the operation’s procedures violates the principles of necessity, proportionality, and accountability in the use of force. Such actions may constitute the arbitrary deprivation of the right to life.
Condemning this killing, Hana calls for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the circumstances of the shooting, the identity and affiliation of the forces involved, the basis of the security claims, and whether non-lethal methods could have been utilized. Applying security labels post-killing, without publishing verifiable evidence and without providing families access to a truth-finding process, cannot replace the government’s legal responsibility to protect the right to life and remain accountable for the deaths of citizens.