Balochistan: Family of Five-Year-Old Killed in Pahra Protests Dismissal of Military Officers
DOZAAP, BALOCHISTAN: The family of five-year-old Yousuf Shahli-bor, who was fatally shot by Takavari (special forces) in Pahra (Iranshahr), has publicly protested a court ruling dismissing charges against the military personnel involved.
The ruling, issued by the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Pahra (Iranshahr) on November 5, 2025, cites “insufficient evidence” to hold the accused officers criminally responsible.
Reza Shahli-bor, Yousuf’s uncle, released a video statement on Friday, November 13, 2025, criticizing the ruling for not naming the accused or holding a court session with the family or their lawyer present. “They were acquitted without informing the family or allowing us to be heard. Even Yousuf’s father was told not to object. Where is the justice in this?” he said.
He questioned the fairness of the ruling, stating, “We live in a country that claims to follow Islamic law. Is this justice—letting the killers of a five-year-old walk free while the family cannot even protest?”
According to relatives, the decision was made without notifying the victim’s guardians, without a court hearing, without the presence of a defence lawyer, and without any formal notice provided to the family.
Earlier, judicial authorities had claimed that the case had been transferred to Zahedan for further review. Instead, it was abruptly closed in Pahra, raising serious concerns about transparency and due process.
The incident occurred on the evening of February 25, 2025, when law enforcement officers opened fire on a family vehicle in Pahra. Yousuf was killed and his pregnant mother was injured, ultimately losing her unborn child due to the attack.
Following public outcry, the Prosecutor General of Zahedan announced the arrest of nine police officers linked to the shooting, and the city’s then-parliamentary representative, Rahmdel Bamri, confirmed an additional arrest, bringing the total to ten individuals.
A report by the newspaper Etemad noted that six bullets struck Yousuf’s vital organs and suggested that inadequate medical facilities at Pahra/Iranshahr Hospital contributed significantly to his death.
The dismissal of charges is widely seen as another example of judicial immunity granted to military and security forces in Iranian-occupied Balochistan. Similar cases, even when supported by evidence and eyewitness accounts, have often ended without accountability for perpetrators.
Rights activists say the ruling reinforces a pattern of impunity and further erodes public trust in the justice system. The victim’s family has not yet received an official explanation for the closure of the case.
